University of California, Berkeley AST 98-20662
Dr. Backer will carry out studies of Sgr A* and the Crab nebula and pulsar using a variety of radio telescopes and instrumentation. The studies are unified by the theme of high energy plasma astrophysics and the common technique of using distortions in the interstellar medium as probes of the nature of the object. Studies of the radio source at the galactic center, Sgr A* will include imaging, investigations of the nature of its temporal variability, and the use of its proper motions in dynamical studies. Studies of the Crab nebula and pulsar rely on interpreting pulsar signals that propagate through the interstellar medium to study issues such as the structure of the magnetic field structure in parts of the Galaxy, and the intrinsic properties of the pulsars themselves.
