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© S. ter Veen
Sander's thesis is titled 'Searching for Fast Radio Transients with LOFAR'. A large part of the work is dedicated to the Fast Radio Transients Search (FRATS) project. The real-time pipeline that runs commensally on regular LOFAR observations to search for dispersed millisecond pulses is described.
Focus is given first to the detection of unknown objects and of bright sporadic signals from known pulsars. Then to the verification of the astrophysical origin of the signal and their location using LOFAR's third observing mode, the direct storage from individual antennas.
Furthermore, results of an innovative data analysis technique applied to the Globular Cluster M13 are presented. In here, first the signal is dedispersed coherently at multiple DM values, before the search is performed over a wide range of DM values, leading to the best low frequency observation of pulsar M13A.
The thesis also explores the possibility to observe faster transients - nanosecond radio pulses that are emitted when ultra-high-energy cosmic rays hit the Moon - and reports on the most stringent upper limit for ultra-high-energy cosmic rays above 10^22 eV.
The committee was impressed by Sander's work. We are all very proud of his achievement and very glad to have his expertise in the Science Support group!
