UNDERSTANDING PULSAR MAGNETOSPHERES WITH THE SKAO

Abstract

The SKA telescopes will bring unparalleled sensitivity across a broad radio band, a wide field of view across the Southern sky, and the capacity for sub-arraying, all of which make them the ideal instruments for studying the pulsar magnetosphere. This paper describes the advances that have been made in pulsar magnetosphere physics over the last decade, and details how these have been made possible through the advances of modern radio telescopes, particularly SKA precursors and pathfinders. It explains how the SKA telescopes would transform the field of pulsar magnetosphere physics through a combination of large-scale monitoring surveys and in-depth follow-up observations of unique sources and new discoveries. Finally, it describes how the specific observing opportunities available with the AA* and AA4 configurations will achieve the advances necessary to solve the problem of pulsar radio emission physics in the coming years. © 2025, National University of Ireland Maynooth. All rights reserved.