We describe system verification tests and early science results from the pulsar processor (PTUSE) developed for the newly commissioned 64-dish SARAO MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. MeerKAT is a high-gain ( ${\sim}2.8\,\mbox{K Jy}^{-1}$ ) low-system temperature ( ${\sim}18\,\mbox{K at }20\,\mbox{cm}$ ) radio array that currently operates at 580–1 670 MHz and can produce tied-array beams suitable for pulsar observations. This paper presents results from the MeerTime Large Survey Project and commissioning tests with PTUSE. Highlights include observations of the double pulsar $\mbox{J}0737{-}3039\mbox{A}$ , pulse profiles from 34 millisecond pulsars (MSPs) from a single 2.5-h observation of the Globular cluster Terzan 5, the rotation measure of Ter5O, a 420-sigma giant pulse from the Large Magellanic Cloud pulsar PSR $\mbox{J}0540{-}6919$ , and nulling identified in the slow pulsar PSR J0633–2015. One of the key design specifications for MeerKAT was absolute timing errors of less than 5 ns using their novel precise time system. Our timing of two bright MSPs confirm that MeerKAT delivers exceptional timing. PSR $\mbox{J}2241{-}5236$ exhibits a jitter limit of $<4\,\mbox{ns h}^{-1}$ whilst timing of PSR $\mbox{J}1909{-}3744$ over almost 11 months yields an rms residual of 66 ns with only 4 min integrations. Our results confirm that the MeerKAT is an exceptional pulsar telescope. The array can be split into four separate sub-arrays to time over 1 000 pulsars per day and the future deployment of S-band (1 750–3 500 MHz) receivers will further enhance its capabilities.

PSR B1828–11 is a young pulsar once thought to be undergoing free precession and recently found instead to be switching magnetospheric states in tandem with spin-down changes. Here we show the two extreme states of the mode-changing found for this pulsar and comment briefly on its interpretation.

The millisecond pulsar PSR J0337+1715 is in a mildly relativistic hierarchical triple system with two white dwarfs. This offers the possibility of testing the universality of free fall: does the neutron star fall with the same acceleration as the inner white dwarf in the gravity of the outer white dwarf? We have carried out an intensive pulsar timing campaign, yielding some 27000 pulse time-of-arrival (TOA) measurements with a median uncertainty of 1.2 μs. Here we describe our analysis procedure and timing model.

PSR J0337+1715 is a millisecond radio pulsar in a hierarchical stellar triple system with two white dwarfs. This system is a unique and excellent laboratory in which to test the strong equivalence principle (SEP) of general relativity. An initial SEP-violation test was performed using direct 3-body numerical integration of the orbit in order to model the more than 25000 pulse times of arrival (TOAs) from three radio telescopes: Arecibo, Green Bank and Westerbork. In this work I present our efforts to quantify the effects of systematics in the TOAs and timing residuals, which limit the precision of an SEP test. In particular, we apply Fourier-based techniques to the timing residuals in order to isolate the effects of systematics that can masquerade as an SEP violation.

We investigate the changes in polarization position angle in radiation from pulsar A around the eclipse in the Double Pulsar system PSR J0737-3039A/B at the 20 cm and 50 cm wavelengths using the Parkes 64-m radio telescope. The changes are ~ 2σ during and shortly after the eclipse at 20 cm but less significant at 50 cm. We show that the changes in position angle during the eclipse can be modelled by differential synchrotron absorption in the eclipse regions. Position angle changes after the eclipse are interpreted as Faraday rotation in the magnetotail of pulsar B. Implied charge densities are consistent with the Goldreich-Julian density, suggesting that the particle energies in the magnetotail are mildly relativistic.

Binary pulsars are a valuable laboratory for gravitational experiments. Double-neutron-star systems such as the double pulsar provide the most stringent tests of strong-field gravity available to date, while pulsars with white-dwarf companions constrain departures from general relativity based on the difference in gravitational binding energies in the two stars. Future observations may open up entirely new tests of the predictions of general relativity.

The young pulsar PSR J1740–3052, discovered in the Parkes Multibeam Pulsar Survey, is in a highly eccentric 8-month orbit with a companion of at least 11 solar masses. The up-to-date timing solution for this pulsar incorporates effects likely due to the spin mass quadrupole of the companion star; we discuss the implications for the geometry of the orbit. The pulsar signal displays increased dispersive delays as the pulsar passes behind its companion, indicating an interaction with the companion wind.

Giant pulses (GPs), occasional individual pulses with an intensity 100 times the average intensity, have been detected in four pulsars to date. Their origin is not well understood, but studies suggest a connection between the strength of magnetic field at the light cylinder Blc and the existence of GPs. Here, we report on detection of significant Large Amplitude Pulses (LAPs) in two more pulsars with high values of Blc, PSRs J0218+4232 and B1957+20, observed using Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT).

PSRs J1847–0130 and J1718–37184 have inferred surface dipole magnetic fields greater than those of any other known pulsars and well above the “quantum critical field” above which some models predict radio emission should not occur. These fields are similar to those of the anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs), which growing evidence suggests are “magnetars”. The lack of AXP-like X-ray emission from these radio pulsars (and the non-detection of radio emission from the AXPs) creates new challenges for understanding pulsar emission physics and the relationship between these classes of apparently young neutron stars.

We are conducting deep searches for radio pulsations at L-band (∼ 20 cm) towards more than 30 globular clusters (GCs) using the 305 m Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico and the 100 m Green Bank Telescope in West VirginiA. With roughly three quarters of our search data analyzed, we have discovered 12 new millisecond pulsars (MSPs), 11 of which are in binary systems, and at least three of which eclipse. We have timing solutions for several of these systems.

Measurement of accurate positions, pulse periods and period derivatives is an essential follow-up to any pulsar survey. The procedures being used to obtain timing parameters for the pulsars discovered in the Parkes multibeam pulsar survey are described. Completed solutions have been obtained so far for about 80 pulsars. They show that the survey is preferentially finding pulsars with higher than average surface dipole magnetic fields. Eight pulsars have been shown to be members of binary systems and some of the more interesting results relating to these are presented.

Coherent de-dispersion removes the dispersive effect of the interstellar medium by convolving the digitally sampled telescope output voltages with an inverse filter function, derived from the tenuous plasma dispersion law. The time resolution obtainable by this method is limited only by the bandwidth that can be sampled sufficiently fast as to avoid aliasing. This allows high time resolution, therefore high precision, timing and polarimetry observations of millisecond pulsars. We present here the first results from the Jodrell Bank coherent de-dispersion system.

We present Arecibo observations of PSR B1534+12 which confirm previous suggestions that the pulse profile is evolving secularly. This effect is similar to that seen in PSR B1913+16, and is almost certainly due to general relativistic precession of the pulsar’s spin axis.

We report on the observation of highly-periodic, correlated variations in the rotation and pulse shape of PSR B1828–11. Three harmonically-related periodicities of 100, 500 and 250 days are seen in both the rotation rate and profile shape. The 0.7% modulation in period derivative is apparently related to oscillatory changes in the magnetospheric configuration. The origin of the periodic effects most likely lies in the free precession of the neutron star.

The Parkes multibeam pulsar survey uses a 13-element receiver operating at a wavelength of 20 cm to survey the inner Galactic plane with remarkable sensitivity. To date we have collected and analyzed data from 45% of the survey region (|b| < 5°; 260° < l < 50°), and have discovered 440 pulsars, in addition to re-detecting 190 previously known ones. Most of the newly discovered pulsars are at great distances, as inferred from a median dispersion measure (DM) of 400 cm−3 pc.

We have built a new radio astronomical receiving system designed specifically for very high precision timing and polarimetry of fast pulsars. Unlike most detectors currently used to study pulsars, this intrument does not square the received signal at the time of observation. Instead, voltages proportional to the instantaneous electric vectors of incoming signals are digitized, time-tagged, and recorded on high speed magnetic media. We have tested the system using a 5 MHz bandwidth signal with 2-bit digitization at the Greenbank 140 foot telescope. Full polarization information was obtained with a 0.2 μs time resolution. We have used this system to study the giant pulses emitted by PSR B0531+21 and PSR B1937+21, to determine high precision dispersion measures, and to perform high precision timing and polarimetry.