A 50–250 MHz Pulsar Census with an SKA-Low Prototype Station: Spectra and Polarization
Abstract Low-frequency pulsar observations are crucial for understanding pulsar emission spectra and population physics, as well as for probing the interstellar medium (ISM) and Earth’s ionosphere. We report the largest low-frequency pulsar census conducted in the Southern Hemisphere, covering 50–250 MHz, using the EDA2, an SKA-Low prototype station. In this survey, we detected 120 pulsars, including 23 first-time detections below 150 MHz and 5 below 100 MHz. For each source, we provide integrated pulse profiles and flux-density measurements across five subbands spanning 50–250 MHz. We also obtained improved dispersion measure (DM) values for 110 pulsars, with a median absolute DM correction of about 0.1 pc cm −3 . We measured significant Faraday rotation for 40 pulsars with improved rotation measure (RM) values for four pulsars, as well as phase-resolved RM variation in J1453-6413. Full-polarimetric pulse profiles are provided for all these pulsars, with multifrequency polarimetric data for 20 of them. These results will enhance future SKA-Low science: refining pulsar population models, informing survey strategies, and advancing characterization of both the ISM and the ionosphere through low-frequency pulsar monitoring.
Authors
- Pramod Kumar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0321-7187)
- Randall Wayth
- Marcin Sokolowski
Institutions
- Curtin University (AU)
- Australian Resources Research Centre (AU)
- International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
- Published
- 2026-03-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/ae4744
- Primary Topic
- Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00