Pulsar Discovery by Global Volunteer Computing

Document Type

Journal Article

Role

Author

Standard Number

0036-8075

Journal Title

Science

Volume

329

Issue

5997

First Page

1305

Publication Date

2010

Abstract

Einstein@Home aggregates the computer power of hundreds of thousands of volunteers from 192 countries to mine large data sets. It has now found a 40.8-hertz isolated pulsar in radio survey data from the Arecibo Observatory taken in February 2007. Additional timing observations indicate that this pulsar is likely a disrupted recycled pulsar. PSR J2007+2722’s pulse profile is remarkably wide with emission over almost the entire spin period; the pulsar likely has closely aligned magnetic and spin axes. The massive computing power provided by volunteers should enable many more such discoveries.

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