Pulsar Astronomy

Andrew Lyne is Emeritus Professor of Radio Astronomy at the University of Manchester, a former Director of Jodrell Bank Observatory and a Fellow of the Royal Society. His research has focussed on finding radio pulsars and understanding the physics of neutron stars. He has been at the forefront of pulsar research for over 40 years and his discovery of two-thirds of the known pulsars has resulted in several awards, including the Herschel Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Descartes Prize of the European Union. Francis Graham-Smith is Emeritus Professor of Radio Astronomy at the University of Manchester. He is a pioneer of radio astronomy and was involved in the discovery and accurate location of discrete radio sources. He has been Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, Physical Secretary of the Royal Society, Director of the Jodrell Bank Observatory and Astronomer Royal 1982-1990. The fourth Edition of Pulsar Astronomy is the product of over 40 years of close collaboration in research at Jodrell Bank Observatory.

1. Introduction and overview; 2. Neutron stars; 3. Telescopes and techniques; 4. The distances of the pulsars; 5. Pulsar timing; 6. Timing and astrometry of binary pulsars; 7. Timing irregularities; 8. The galactic population of pulsars; 9. The Crab and Vela pulsars; 10. Other young pulsars; 11. Millisecond and binary pulsars; 12. Accretion powered and thermal pulsars; 13. Magnetars; 14. Supernovae and their remains; 15. Integrated pulse profiles; 16. Individual radio pulses; 17. Location of the emitting regions; 18. Radiation processes; 19. The pulsar emission mechanisms; 20. Scintillation and scattering; 21. The interstellar magnetic field; 22. Achievements and prospects; Index.