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Optical Search for Pulsations from Pulsating Radio Source CP 1919
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 7, 1968
Summary
Optical observations found no significant light pulsations from the area of radio source CP 1919. This suggests the observed radio pulses do not directly correlate with visible light emissions from nearby celestial objects.
Area of Science:
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Radio Astronomy
- Optical Astronomy
Background:
- Pulsating radio sources, like CP 1919, represent a significant class of celestial objects emitting regular radio signals.
- Understanding the nature of these sources requires correlating their radio emission with observations across the electromagnetic spectrum, including visible light.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential optical counterparts to the pulsating radio source CP 1919.
- To search for visible light pulsations that might be synchronized with the known radio pulsations of CP 1919.
Main Methods:
- Conducted optical observations of an 18th magnitude blue star and a faint red object near the location of CP 1919.
- Analyzed the optical data for periodic variations in light intensity, specifically looking for pulsations similar to the radio source's period.
- Quantified the upper limits of any detected light pulsations or intensity fluctuations.
Main Results:
- No detectable pulsations of visible light were found from the blue star, with an upper limit of 0.4% of total output.
- No significant light pulsations were detected from the faint red object, with an upper limit of 0.8% of total output.
- For sinusoidal modulation, root-mean-square intensity fluctuations were limited to 4% and 8% for the blue star and red object, respectively.
Conclusions:
- The optical observations place stringent upper limits on the visible light pulsations associated with CP 1919's location.
- The lack of synchronized optical pulsations suggests that the emission mechanisms of the radio source and any potential optical counterparts are distinct or that the optical emission is heavily obscured.
