This research is based upon a long-term search for pulsars using the Arecibo and Green Bank radio facilities. The discovery of pulsars with periods shorter than about 1.5 ms sets important constraints on the equation of state for nuclear matter and the mechanism by which rotational energy is lost. In one of several parallel efforts, radio astrometry will be conducted at the Very Large Array to determine the velocity kicks imparted to neutron stars during the supernova process. The velocity distribution so derived may provide useful information on the symmetry and energy of supernova explosions, which are standard distance indicators used in cosmological studies. A third major project will be conducted, in order to determine the distribution of ionized gas in the interstellar medium and the structure of pulsar magnetospheres using radio scintillation as a probe. These projects are expected to yield useful information on the population characteristics of neutron stars, and to identify additional planetary candidates around certain pulsars.
