Precise Timing and Phase-resolved Spectroscopy of the Young Pulsar J1617–5055 with NuSTAR

We report on a Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) observation of the young, energetic pulsar PSR J1617–5055. Parkes Observatory 3 GHz radio observations of the pulsar (taken about 7 yr before the NuSTAR observations) are also reported here. NuSTAR detected pulsations at a frequency of f ≈ 14.4 Hz (P ≈ 69.44 ms) and, in addition, the observation was long enough to measure the source’s frequency derivative, f ̇ ≈ − 2.8 × 10 − 11 Hz s−1. We find that the pulsar shows one peak per period at both hard X-ray and radio wavelengths, but that the hard X-ray pulse is broader (having a duty cycle of ∼0.7), than the radio pulse (having a duty cycle of ∼0.08). Additionally, the radio pulse is strongly linearly polarized. J1617's phase-integrated hard X-ray spectrum is well fit by an absorbed power-law model, with a photon index Γ = 1.59 ± 0.02. The hard X-ray pulsations are well described by three Fourier harmonics, and have a pulsed fraction that increases with energy. We also fit the phase-resolved NuSTAR spectra with an absorbed power-law model in five phase bins and find that the photon index varies with phase from Γ = 1.52 ± 0.03 at phases around the flux maximum to Γ = 1.79 ± 0.06 around the flux minimum. Last, we compare our results with other pulsars whose magnetospheric emission is detected at hard X-ray energies and find that, similar to previous studies, J1617's hard X-ray properties are more similar to the MeV pulsars than the GeV pulsars.

A rectangular radio pulse propagation in a selectively absorbing medium

A pulse with rectangular envelope propagation, in which carrier frequency is close to the medium spectral absorption line’s one frequency, is considered. It is shown that when the signal carrier frequency is shifted relative to the spectral line centre, the primary interference and the response signal can lead to the total signal significant oscillations over time.

Development of an optimization method for measuring the Doppler frequency of a packet taking into account the fluctuations of the initial phases of its radio pulses

The necessity of estimating the decrease in the accuracy of measuring the informative parameters of a radar signal in real conditions of its propagation and reflection has been substantiated. The results of the estimation determine the requirements for optimizing this measurement to achieve the required efficiency. A numerical analysis of the decrease in the accuracy of measuring the Doppler frequency of a coherent packet is presented, depending on the statistical characteristics of fluctuations of the initial phases of its radio pulses. Expressions are given for calculating the fluctuation component of the measurement error of radio pulse packet frequency for various coefficients of interpulse correlation of phase fluctuations. An assessment is made of the possibility of increasing the accuracy of Doppler frequency measurement, which can be ensured by statistical optimization of the algorithm for time-frequency processing of a given radar signal by taking into account its phase fluctuations. The conditions for the multiplicative influence of phase fluctuations of radio pulses of the received packet are substantiated, which determine the efficiency of optimization of Doppler frequency measurement. Based on the results of the study, an optimization method for measuring the Doppler frequency of the packet taking into account fluctuations in the initial phases of its radio pulses is proposed. The accuracy of Doppler frequency measurement under the influence of both the internal noise of the radar receiver and the correlated phase fluctuations of its radio pulses is estimated. The efficiency of optimization of measuring the Doppler frequency of the packet is estimated taking into account fluctuations of the initial phases of its radio pulses by means of computer simulation. It is proved that, under the influence of phase fluctuations, the accuracy of Doppler frequency measurement can be increased due to the performed optimization from 1.86 to 6.29 times. This opens the way to improving the existing algorithms for measuring the higher time range derivatives to improve the quality of tracking complex maneuvering aerodynamic objects. This explains the importance and usefulness of the work for the radar theory.

Constraining the Origin Altitude of the first Satellite-Detected Reverse-Beam Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flash Produced by a Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Leader.

<p>We provide an updated analysis of the gamma-ray signature of a terrestrial gamma ray flash (TGF) detected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor first reported by Pu et al. 2020. Gamma-ray photons were produced 3ms prior to a negative cloud-to-ground return stroke and were close to simultaneous with an isolated low frequency radio pulse during the leaders propagation, with a polarity indicating downward moving negative charge. This ‘slow’ low frequency signal occurring prior to the main discharge has previously been strongly correlated with upward directed TGF events (Pu et al. 2019, Cummer et al. 2011) leading the authors to conclude that the Fermi detected counts just prior to the return stroke are the result of a reverse positron beam generating upward directed gamma rays.<span>  </span>We investigate the feasibility of this scenario and constrain the limits on the origin altitude from the perspective of the gamma-ray signature timing uncertainties, TGF Monte Carlo simulations, estimates of intrinsic brightness as a function of altitude, and meteorological analysis of the storm and its possible charge structure and altitude.</p>

Нелинейное подавление сигналов в лампе бегущей волны

The results of an experimental and theoretical study of the passage of monochromatic and pulse-modulated microwave signal through a traveling wave tube operating in the nonlinear suppression mode are presented. It was found that the TWT can operate either as a saturable absorber or as a power limiter and these regimes depend on the magnitude of the accelerating voltage and beam current. In the first case, the maximum signal suppression level corresponding to the Kompfner dip is realized in the linear mode, and in the second case - in the nonlinear mode, at a certain input signal power. It is shown that in the case of maximum suppression, a short pulse is formed at the front of the radio pulses. In the nonlinear Kompfner dip mode, the duration of such pulse is decreased with an increase in the power of the input radio pulse. The simulation results obtained using the nonlinear nonstationary theory of a traveling wave tube are in good qualitative agreement with the experimental data.