The Parkes Southern Pulsar Survey -- II. Final Results and
Population Analysis
A. G. Lyne (NRAL, University of Manchester, Jodrell Bank, UK.),
R. N. Manchester (ATNF, CSIRO, Australia),
D. R. Lorimer (NRAL, University of Manchester, Jodrell Bank, UK.),
M. Bailes (University of Melbourne, Australia),
N. D'Amico (IRA - CNR, Bologna and University of Palermo, Italy),
T. Tauris (Institute of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Denmark),
S. Johnston (RCfTA, University of Sydney, Australia),
J. F. Bell (MSSSO, Australian National University, Australia),
L. Nicastro (I.Te.S.R.E. - CNR, Bologna, Italy).
Abstract
A survey of the entire southern sky for millisecond and low-luminosity
pulsars using the ATNF Parkes radio telescope has now been
completed. The survey detected 298 pulsars, of which 101 were
previously unknown. The new pulsars include 17 millisecond
pulsars. This is the largest sample of both normal and millisecond pulsars
detected in any survey. Combining our sample with other recent
surveys in the Northern Hemisphere, we present a statistical study of
the populations of both normal and millisecond pulsars. We find that
the improved statistics allow us to estimate the number and birth-rate
of both types of pulsars down to a 400-MHz luminosity limit of 1 mJy
kpc^2. The local surface densities of potentially observable normal
pulsars and millisecond pulsars are both about 30 kpc^-2,
corresponding to ~30000 potentially observable pulsars in the
Galaxy and ~160000 active pulsars once beaming effects are
taken into consideration. Although there is evidence for flattening of
the luminosity function of normal pulsars, this is not evident for
millisecond pulsars which probably have a substantial population with
luminosities below 1 mJy kpc^2. After correcting for beaming
effects, we estimate that a normal pulsar is born with a luminosity
greater than 1 mJy kpc^2 between once every 60 and 330 years in the
Galaxy. The birth-rate of millisecond pulsars is at least 3x10^-6 yr^-1
above the same luminosity limit. Modelling the
observed transverse speeds of millisecond pulsars using a dynamical
simulation, we find their mean birth velocity to be 130+/-30
km s^-1, significantly lower than that of the normal pulsars.
Key words: Pulsars: Millisecond pulsars: Galactic population --- methods: statistical