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First NenuFAR pulsar catalogue : 89 pulsars detected for the first time below 100 MHz

9 novembre 2026

With its first catalogue of pulsars, published in 2026 in *Astronomy & Astrophysics*, NenuFAR has doubled the number of known pulsars at low radio frequencies. This result is the outcome of a study carried out at the Nançay Radio Astronomy Observatory by teams from the Paris Observatory - PSL and their partners.

The NenuFAR radio telescope, at the Nançay Radio Astronomy Observatory, observed a selection of 645 pulsars visible from the site between 2019 and 2021. This survey covers the 10–85 MHz band, one of the least explored regions of the radio spectrum for these rapidly rotating neutron stars.

Carte du ciel des 645 pulsars observés par NenuFAR : étoiles bleues, pulsars ordinaires détectés ; losanges magenta, pulsars millisecondes détectés ; croix rouges, pulsars non détectés.
Crédit : Bondonneau et al. 2026, A&A 713, A224.

Result : 182 pulsars were detected, 89 of which had never before been observed below 100 MHz. The number of known pulsars in this band has increased from 119 to 208. Thirteen millisecond pulsars were detected, ten of which were new at these frequencies. The team provides pulse profiles, dispersion and scattering measurements, and calibrated fluxes.

These data help to understand the low-frequency spectrum of pulsars and to probe the interstellar medium.

The work involved the ORN, the LIRA and numerous French and international partners, including the LPC2E/OSUC, ASTRON and the Kharkiv Institute of Radio Astronomy (Ukraine).

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