Parkes observations for project P1139 semester 2022APRS_05

Brief description

We have made the first direct detection of an ultra-long period magnetar, using a low-frequency sky survey performed by the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). Its radio emission is highly polarised and periodic on a timescale of ~20 minutes. Its dynamic spectrum shows high-fluence narrow-timescale “spikes” which are unresolved by our data, with fluence approaching the Fast Radio Bursts generated by the
Galactic centre magnetar. The source was visible in Q1 2018 but has since entered a quiescent state. In the event that it switches back on, we requre follow-up of this source to determine an accurate position, a wide-band spectral index, a precise dispersion measure, determination of its polarisation properties at high frequencies, and to better understand the emission on short timescales. Therefore, we are requesting triggered observations with ATCA and Parkes based on MWA monitoring. This semester we request to extend the triggering criterion to any similar source detected in an upcoming monitoring campaign of the Galactic plane using the MWA.