A highlight of the meeting was the student workshop held June 16-20. Titled “Camp Pulsar,” IPTA scientists mentored early-career researchers through a workshop full of hands-on sessions and breakout groups to explore into the intricacies of pulsar timing. Science Week followed from June 23-27, drawing over 120 pulsar timing experts from around the world. The event offered a rich array of presentations, research updates, and working sessions covering a diverse range of topics in pulsar science. The vibrant exchange of ideas encouraged thoughtful discussions and strengthened the foundations for future international collaboration.
Recognized as one of the country’s strongest pulsar research programs, our Department’s prominence in the NANOGrav Collaboration is driven in large part by Maura McLaughlin. As a founding member of NANOGrav, co-director of the NANOGrav Physics Frontier Center, and Department Chair, McLaughlin's leadership and vision have been instrumental in shaping the program’s success. Her pioneering work exemplifies the University’s leadership in the field, which is reflected in the active participation at IPTA of over a dozen faculty, students, and postdoctoral researchers. Many contributed to the leadership of Camp Pulsar, while three students – Ashley Martsen, Nikita Agarwal, and Anala Kavumkandathil Sreekumar – were invited to present their research during Science Week. Postdoctoral researchers Loki Dey and Ross Jennings also shared their work during sessions. All attendees from the University are key members of the Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, which supports their research efforts. Their presentations are as follows:
- Nikita Agarwal, "Targeted Searches for CW Sources with the NANOGrav 15-yr Dataset"
- Lankeswar "Loki" Dey, "NANOGrav 15-yr Dataset: Searching for Interstellar Objects in Our Galaxy"
- Ross Jennings, "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cyclic Spectroscopy with End-to-End Simulations"
- Anala Kavumkandathil Sreekumar, "NANOGrav 15-yr Dataset: Interpretation of DM Variations"
- Ashley Martsen, "Searching for Pulse Profile Variability in the NANOGrav 15-yr Dataset"
In addition to the science program, Jason E. Ybarra, director of the WVU Planetarium and Observatory and teaching assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, premiered a new film titled Cosmic Clocks. Developed and produced by Ybarra with support from University students Jordan O’Kelley, Susie Paine, and Jackson Taylor, as well as GWAC Scientific Computations Specialist Joseph Glaser, the film explores the foundations of pulsar timing. Isabela Rodriguez Ortiz, a participant in our 2024 Astrophysics Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) program, developed the Spanish language version of the film. The premiere took place at Glendale Community College Planetarium in partnership with the WVU Planetarium and featured an exclusive sneak peek screening for IPTA attendees and their guests. The full film is slated for nationwide release later in 2025.