Marcus Lower
@astromelow.bsky.social
Astrophysicist | ARC DECRA Fellow at Swinburne | Timing pulsars & magnetars | Coffee enthusiast
Website: https://mlower.github.io
Website: https://mlower.github.io
Big if true!!
An MSP in close orbit around Sagittarius A* would lead to some incredible tests of relativity
An MSP in close orbit around Sagittarius A* would lead to some incredible tests of relativity
NEW: Breakthrough Listen, NSF Green Bank Telescope Probe Galactic Heart for Hidden Pulsars
Astronomers have discovered a possible millisecond pulsar, which would be the first found in the Milky Way's Galactic Center.
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #GreenBankTelescope #BreakthroughListen #SETI #Pulsars
Astronomers have discovered a possible millisecond pulsar, which would be the first found in the Milky Way's Galactic Center.
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #GreenBankTelescope #BreakthroughListen #SETI #Pulsars
Breakthrough Listen, NSF Green Bank Telescope Probe Galactic Heart for Hidden Pulsars - National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Astronomers from Breakthrough Listen have used the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s Green Bank Telescope (NSF...
public.nrao.edu
February 10, 2026 at 12:16 PM
Big if true!!
An MSP in close orbit around Sagittarius A* would lead to some incredible tests of relativity
An MSP in close orbit around Sagittarius A* would lead to some incredible tests of relativity
Incredible display of the Aurora Australis on Jan 20. Never thought I’d get to see the auroral oval this close up from Melbourne!
January 21, 2026 at 11:06 AM
Incredible display of the Aurora Australis on Jan 20. Never thought I’d get to see the auroral oval this close up from Melbourne!
Reposted by Marcus Lower
Li et al. monitored a repeating fast radio burst (FRB). They identify a transient excursion of its rotation measure (RM), which increases by orders of magnitude for 2 weeks. Possible causes include a coronal mass ejection from a binary companion star. ☄️ #radioastro
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
January 15, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Li et al. monitored a repeating fast radio burst (FRB). They identify a transient excursion of its rotation measure (RM), which increases by orders of magnitude for 2 weeks. Possible causes include a coronal mass ejection from a binary companion star. ☄️ #radioastro
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
We are pleased to announce the publication today (19th December 2025) of a special issue consisting of a series of papers about various aspects of Pulsar Science with the Square Kilometre Array Observatory.
Links to the individual papers follow in a thread....
astro.theoj.org/issue/13006
Links to the individual papers follow in a thread....
astro.theoj.org/issue/13006
Vol. 8 Supplement, Issue 1, 2025 | Published by The Open Journal of Astrophysics
Highlights of the expected outcomes from the upcoming
SKA Observatory with game-changing large instantaneous
sensitivity, wide frequency coverage and flexible observation modes
astro.theoj.org
December 19, 2025 at 12:06 PM
And of course, this meant flexing my Adobe Illustrator skills! Here’s a couple nice graphics that I put together for the SKA pulsar magnetospheres and interiors papers 😁
#RadioAstronomy
#RadioAstronomy
December 19, 2025 at 9:21 AM
And of course, this meant flexing my Adobe Illustrator skills! Here’s a couple nice graphics that I put together for the SKA pulsar magnetospheres and interiors papers 😁
#RadioAstronomy
#RadioAstronomy
I was involved in 3/12 of the updates
- Magnetospheres: arxiv.org/abs/2512.16157
- Testing gravity: arxiv.org/abs/2512.16161
- Interiors (I helped out with coordinating this one): arxiv.org/abs/2512.16162
- Magnetospheres: arxiv.org/abs/2512.16157
- Testing gravity: arxiv.org/abs/2512.16161
- Interiors (I helped out with coordinating this one): arxiv.org/abs/2512.16162
December 19, 2025 at 9:17 AM
I was involved in 3/12 of the updates
- Magnetospheres: arxiv.org/abs/2512.16157
- Testing gravity: arxiv.org/abs/2512.16161
- Interiors (I helped out with coordinating this one): arxiv.org/abs/2512.16162
- Magnetospheres: arxiv.org/abs/2512.16157
- Testing gravity: arxiv.org/abs/2512.16161
- Interiors (I helped out with coordinating this one): arxiv.org/abs/2512.16162
It’s SKA Pulsar Day!!
It’s been more than a decade since the previous science case for the SKA was published. So a bunch of us pulsar astronomers put together an update!
🔭☄️
arxiv.org/abs/2512.16152
It’s been more than a decade since the previous science case for the SKA was published. So a bunch of us pulsar astronomers put together an update!
🔭☄️
arxiv.org/abs/2512.16152
Pulsar Science with the SKA Observatory
The large instantaneous sensitivity, a wide frequency coverage and flexible observation modes with large number of beams in the sky are the main features of the SKA observatory's two telescopes, the S...
arxiv.org
December 19, 2025 at 9:14 AM
It’s SKA Pulsar Day!!
It’s been more than a decade since the previous science case for the SKA was published. So a bunch of us pulsar astronomers put together an update!
🔭☄️
arxiv.org/abs/2512.16152
It’s been more than a decade since the previous science case for the SKA was published. So a bunch of us pulsar astronomers put together an update!
🔭☄️
arxiv.org/abs/2512.16152
No worries!
I’m still within 5 years post-PhD, so not eligible to apply for a Future at the moment.
I’m still within 5 years post-PhD, so not eligible to apply for a Future at the moment.
December 10, 2025 at 12:59 AM
No worries!
I’m still within 5 years post-PhD, so not eligible to apply for a Future at the moment.
I’m still within 5 years post-PhD, so not eligible to apply for a Future at the moment.
Yep! I’m an ECR and have been asked to review a pair of Future Fellowships.
December 10, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Yep! I’m an ECR and have been asked to review a pair of Future Fellowships.
Reposted by Marcus Lower
DECRA success rate is the lowest in 14 years, since 2012 (1st year the scheme ran).
What a pathetic system we have for supporting new ideas, new people…
DE26: 13.1%
25: 17.9
24: 19.6
23: 15.0
22: 19.7
21: 17.1
20: 16.0
19: 17.2
18: 16.3
17: 16.7
16: 16.4
15: 14.3
14: 13.6
13: 15.6
12: 12.8
What a pathetic system we have for supporting new ideas, new people…
DE26: 13.1%
25: 17.9
24: 19.6
23: 15.0
22: 19.7
21: 17.1
20: 16.0
19: 17.2
18: 16.3
17: 16.7
16: 16.4
15: 14.3
14: 13.6
13: 15.6
12: 12.8
🚨 #DECRA #DE26 announcement:
❗️Outcomes announced publicly for Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026❗️
See ARC's RMS for list ➡️ https://rms.arc.gov.au/RMS/Report/Download/Report/a3f6be6e-33f7-4fb5-98a6-7526aaa184cf/285
/bot
❗️Outcomes announced publicly for Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026❗️
See ARC's RMS for list ➡️ https://rms.arc.gov.au/RMS/Report/Download/Report/a3f6be6e-33f7-4fb5-98a6-7526aaa184cf/285
/bot
November 25, 2025 at 12:34 AM
DECRA success rate is the lowest in 14 years, since 2012 (1st year the scheme ran).
What a pathetic system we have for supporting new ideas, new people…
DE26: 13.1%
25: 17.9
24: 19.6
23: 15.0
22: 19.7
21: 17.1
20: 16.0
19: 17.2
18: 16.3
17: 16.7
16: 16.4
15: 14.3
14: 13.6
13: 15.6
12: 12.8
What a pathetic system we have for supporting new ideas, new people…
DE26: 13.1%
25: 17.9
24: 19.6
23: 15.0
22: 19.7
21: 17.1
20: 16.0
19: 17.2
18: 16.3
17: 16.7
16: 16.4
15: 14.3
14: 13.6
13: 15.6
12: 12.8
Geeze. Surely you know you’ve stuffed up when your former science minister, whom *allegedly* despised Australia’s involvement in the SKA, is grilling your parties lack of support for science funding and cuts to the national science agency.
He’s not wrong, the former Science Minister*
*In the same Party as the current one!
(From Guardian Australia “live”)
*In the same Party as the current one!
(From Guardian Australia “live”)
November 19, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Geeze. Surely you know you’ve stuffed up when your former science minister, whom *allegedly* despised Australia’s involvement in the SKA, is grilling your parties lack of support for science funding and cuts to the national science agency.
Reposted by Marcus Lower
November 17, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Sadly a DECRA can only purchase up to 1/3rd of a house in Sydney, let alone a giant radio telescope…
September 3, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Sadly a DECRA can only purchase up to 1/3rd of a house in Sydney, let alone a giant radio telescope…
Or just refurbished the one already there!
September 3, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Or just refurbished the one already there!
Does the telescope actually come with the land? And the buyer could (in theory) do whatever they want with the telescope?
September 3, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Does the telescope actually come with the land? And the buyer could (in theory) do whatever they want with the telescope?
Could tell the antennas were all pointed at the same spot and that data was streaming easily enough!
September 1, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Could tell the antennas were all pointed at the same spot and that data was streaming easily enough!
There was indeed a large cat. But only a single antenna…
September 1, 2025 at 2:41 AM
There was indeed a large cat. But only a single antenna…
What babysitting a telescope the size of Australia looks like #RadioAstronomy
August 31, 2025 at 9:10 AM
What babysitting a telescope the size of Australia looks like #RadioAstronomy
An institute or grant not budgeting for APCs is apparently a legitimate reason to ask RAS for a fee waiver!
I asked for one during a brief period between MNRAS going gold open access and my institution making a deal with them, and it was granted
I asked for one during a brief period between MNRAS going gold open access and my institution making a deal with them, and it was granted
August 27, 2025 at 12:15 PM
An institute or grant not budgeting for APCs is apparently a legitimate reason to ask RAS for a fee waiver!
I asked for one during a brief period between MNRAS going gold open access and my institution making a deal with them, and it was granted
I asked for one during a brief period between MNRAS going gold open access and my institution making a deal with them, and it was granted
And finally, some pulsars live in unusual locations.
Like this millisecond pulsar that I helped find in the central region of our Galaxy! And is embedded in a giant glowing filament of radio light!!
doi.org/10.3847/2041...
Like this millisecond pulsar that I helped find in the central region of our Galaxy! And is embedded in a giant glowing filament of radio light!!
doi.org/10.3847/2041...
A Millisecond Pulsar Binary Embedded in a Galactic Center Radio Filament - IOPscience
A Millisecond Pulsar Binary Embedded in a Galactic Center Radio Filament, Lower, Marcus E., Dai, Shi, Johnston, Simon, Barr, Ewan D.
doi.org
August 19, 2025 at 12:28 PM
And finally, some pulsars live in unusual locations.
Like this millisecond pulsar that I helped find in the central region of our Galaxy! And is embedded in a giant glowing filament of radio light!!
doi.org/10.3847/2041...
Like this millisecond pulsar that I helped find in the central region of our Galaxy! And is embedded in a giant glowing filament of radio light!!
doi.org/10.3847/2041...
Some neutron stars have extremely powerful magnetic field and do all sorts of whacky things. Like emitting beams fast radio bursts 💥
Or behave in totally unexpected ways: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
And imprint their magnetic fields on the emitted radio waves: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Or behave in totally unexpected ways: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
And imprint their magnetic fields on the emitted radio waves: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
The dynamic magnetosphere of Swift J1818.0–1607
ABSTRACT. Radio-loud magnetars display a wide variety of radio-pulse phenomenology seldom seen among the population of rotation-powered pulsars. Spectropol
doi.org
August 19, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Some neutron stars have extremely powerful magnetic field and do all sorts of whacky things. Like emitting beams fast radio bursts 💥
Or behave in totally unexpected ways: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
And imprint their magnetic fields on the emitted radio waves: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Or behave in totally unexpected ways: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
And imprint their magnetic fields on the emitted radio waves: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
There’s also a unique “double pulsar” that has provided an extremely powerful tool for testing relativity: www.aanda.org/articles/aa/...
And teaching us about what goes on in the magnetic fields of neutron stars: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
And teaching us about what goes on in the magnetic fields of neutron stars: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
www.aanda.org
August 19, 2025 at 12:28 PM
There’s also a unique “double pulsar” that has provided an extremely powerful tool for testing relativity: www.aanda.org/articles/aa/...
And teaching us about what goes on in the magnetic fields of neutron stars: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
And teaching us about what goes on in the magnetic fields of neutron stars: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
By carefully tracking the rotation rates of 100’s of pulsars, we’ve been able to peer into their insides: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
And realise that both the rate at which their spins slow down and emit radio waves are A LOT more variable than once thought: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
And realise that both the rate at which their spins slow down and emit radio waves are A LOT more variable than once thought: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
The impact of glitches on young pulsar rotational evolution
ABSTRACT. We report on a timing programme of 74 young pulsars that have been observed by the Parkes 64-m radio telescope over the past decade. Using modern
doi.org
August 19, 2025 at 12:28 PM
By carefully tracking the rotation rates of 100’s of pulsars, we’ve been able to peer into their insides: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
And realise that both the rate at which their spins slow down and emit radio waves are A LOT more variable than once thought: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
And realise that both the rate at which their spins slow down and emit radio waves are A LOT more variable than once thought: doi.org/10.1093/mnra...
Apparently it’s #NeutronStarWeek, i.e the things I study for my day (and sometimes night) job!
More accurately I look at pulsars, which are neutron stars that are doing interesting things. Like emitting beams of radio waves from above their magnetic poles.
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy
More accurately I look at pulsars, which are neutron stars that are doing interesting things. Like emitting beams of radio waves from above their magnetic poles.
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy
August 19, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Apparently it’s #NeutronStarWeek, i.e the things I study for my day (and sometimes night) job!
More accurately I look at pulsars, which are neutron stars that are doing interesting things. Like emitting beams of radio waves from above their magnetic poles.
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy
More accurately I look at pulsars, which are neutron stars that are doing interesting things. Like emitting beams of radio waves from above their magnetic poles.
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy