NSF Org:	AST Division Of Astronomical Sciences
Recipient:	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, THE
Initial Amendment Date:	June 18, 1990
Latest Amendment Date:	May 31, 1994
Award Number:	9003404
Award Instrument:	Continuing Grant
Program Manager:	Vernon Pankonin AST  Division Of Astronomical Sciences MPS  Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Start Date:	June 15, 1990
End Date:	November 30, 1994 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$209,000.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$209,000.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 1990 = $68,000.00 FY 1991 = $70,000.00 FY 1992 = $71,000.00
History of Investigator:	Donald Backer (Principal Investigator) sibani@berkeley.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	University of California-Berkeley 1608 4TH ST STE 201 BERKELEY CA  US  94710-1749 (510)643-3891
Sponsor Congressional District:	12
Primary Place of Performance:	DATA NOT AVAILABLE
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	GS3YEVSS12N6
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s):	GALACTIC ASTRONOMY PROGRAM
Primary Program Source:
Program Reference Code(s):
Program Element Code(s):	121600
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.049

ABSTRACT

Dr. Backer's research covers a range of studies in the general field of pulsar astrophysics. There are two principal foci: the development of new hardware for searching for pulsars with fast periods; and surveys to discover other interesting objects in this class. A set of these pulsars will be monitored as celestial clocks for precision experiments. Pulsars with millisecond periods and binary pulsars probably form a distinct class of neutron stars that have rotational periods which are processed by angular momentum transfer from a companion star. The solitary millisecond pulsars have an uncertain past, but may fit the binary scenario if evaporation of a companion can proceed to completion. Dr. Backer's research is involved in both finding new members of this class of pulsars, and in using millisecond pulsars as celestial clocks for precision measurements.

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