Introduction:
The Algonquin Radio Observatory (ARO) is located in Algonquin Park and has been operating since the 1960s.
Pulsars are a type of Neutron star that act like cosmic lighthouses, with spinning beams of radio waves.
The Crab Nebula has a pulsar at its center which rotates very quickly and is connected with a supernova that could be seen from Earth in the year 1054.
Giant Pulses:
Sometimes a pulse from a pulsar is far brighter than normal, we call these giant pulses.
The reason that these happen is not entirely understood
These pulses often have interesting structure and can teach us about what is happening on and around the pulsar.
Akanksha’s Work:
Observing the Crab Pulsar with the ARO, Akanksha found over 100,000 radio signal events and sorted down to a few interesting pulses.
She noticed one pulse behave like none she had ever seen before.
She developed a model to explain the unusual pulse. Perhaps some radio waves bounce off material in the Crab Nebula.
This new model is able to account for the observations and predict a new type of pulse that may be seen in the future.
We eagerly wait for more observations that may prove, disprove, or refine her theories!
Special thanks to Colin Vendromin for the music also thanks to Zac Kenny for the logo!