As part of the Pulsar Search Collaboratory through the Green Bank Observatory Program at West
Virginia University, this six-week online project investigates pulsars, including pulsar properties,
how potential pulsar candidates can be identified, and how pulsars are ultimately discovered. The
project also defines pulsars and their significance in astrophysics. Data examples, which include
prepfold plots, were studied to differentiate potential pulsars from noise and other non-pulsars.
Prepfold plots were analyzed to determine if each plot signified a pulsar, noise, RFI, or a
potential pulsar candidate. We first researched the history of pulsar discovery and the importance
of pulsars to the field of astrophysics, learning about pulsar properties, including pulses, periods,
dispersion measure (DM), distance, and frequency. We then adopted a pulsar and learned about
its pulse, dispersion measure, frequency, and distance through the ATNF Catalog in order to be
able to understand how to identify pulsars from real data. We also practiced using the DM
Calculator with our adopted pulsar. We next researched prepfold plots, which allowed us to
analyze the spin period, phase, DM, and other data information of individual pulsars. In
conclusion, at the program’s culmination we gained credentials that qualify us to analyze and
score prepfold plots in order to assist with the project’s goal of identifying pulsar candidates.