Pulsars are rapidly spinning, highly magnetized neutron stars. A neutron star originates from a massive star exploding at the end of its "normal" life. In 1967, pulsars were discovered by Jocelyn Bell and Antony Hewish at Cambridge. Since then they have become a fascinating area of research in astronomy and astrophysics.

As one of the research groups of the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory (XAO), the pulsar group studies a diverse range of subjects in pulsar astronomy. In Feb. 1996, we succeeded in observing pulsars using the Nanshan 25m radio telescope. That was the first time that pulsars were observed in China. Later, the first pulsar timing observing system of China was successfully established by us. In 2002 after an update to a Cryogenic Receiver, the Nanshan 25m radio telescope was capable of observing more than 270 pulsars. In 2008, we introduced an international advanced pulsar backend – Pulsar Digital Filter Bank by co-operation with the Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF). To date a total of 300 pulsars (including more than 10 millisecond pulsars) are monitored as pulsar timing sources. We also have carried out some other observation projects such as radio observations of rotating radio transients (RRATs) and magnetars and searches for radio pulsars. We study many aspects of pulsar astronomy including pulsar timing, pulsar emission properties and mechanisms, spin model and thermal evolution of neutron stars, and magnetic field and emission properties of magnetars.

The XAO pulsar group has 8 researchers now, including 6 senior researchers. We currently have 2 post doctors, 8 master students and Ph.D. students. So far, 18 and 5 of our students have graduated with a master and doctor degree, respectively. More than 100 our research papers have been published. Many scientific projects have been chaired by us, such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Science Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and West Light Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. We also have participated in 2 National Programs on Key Basic Research Project (973 Programs).

Selected published papers
1. Tong, H.; Xu, R. X.: ” SGR 0418+5729: A Small Inclination Angle Resulting in a Not So Low Dipole Magnetic Field?”, 2012, ApJ, 757L, 10-13.
2. Wang, Jingbo; Wang, Na; Tong, Hao; Yuan, Jianping: “Recent glitches detected in the Crab pulsar”, 2012, Ap&SS, 340, 307-315.
3. Zhu, Chunhua; Lü, Guoliang; Wang, Zhaojun; Wang, Na: “Donors of Persistent Neutron-Star Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries”, 2012, PASP, 124, 195-203.
4. Zhang, CaiHong; Wang, Na; Yuan, JianPing; Liu, ZhiYong; Liu, JingNan; Nie, GuiGen: “Timing noise study of four pulsars”, 2012, ScChG, 55, 333-338.
5. Chen, Ding; Zhu, Xing-zhi; Wang, Na: “Research on Ensemble Pulsar Time Based on Observed Data”, 2012, Chinese Astronomy and Astrophysics, 36(2), 187-197.
6. Chen, J. L.; Wang, H. G.; Wang, N.; Lyne A.; Liu. Z. Y.; Jessner A.; Yuan J. P.; Kramer, M.: “Long-term Monitoring of Mode Switching for PSR B0329+54”, 2011,ApJ, 741, 48-58.
7. Yan, W. M.; Manchester, R. N.; Hobbs, G.; Van Straten, W.; Reynolds, J.; Wang, N. et al.: “Rotation measure variations for 20 millisecond pulsars”, 2011, Ap&SS, 335, 485-498.
8. Yan, W. M.; Manchester, R. N.; Van Straten, W.; Reynolds, J.; Hobbs, G.; Wang, N. et al.: “Polarization observations of 20 millisecond pulsars”, 2011, MNRAS, 414, 2087-2100.
9. Na, X. S.; Wang, N.; Yuan, J. P.; Liu, Z. Y.; Esamdin, A.; Pan, J.; Xu, R. X.: “Hurst parameter analysis of radio pulsar timing residuals”, 2011, MNRAS, 412, 2678-2684.
10. Gao, Z. F.; Wang, N.; Song, D. L. et al.: “ The effects of intense magnetic fields on Landau levels in a neutron star”, 2011, Ap&SS, 334, 281-292.
11. Gao, Z. F.; Wang, N.; Yuan, J. P. et al.: “Evolution of superhigh magnetic fields of magnetars ”, 2011, Ap&SS, 333, 427-435.
12. Gao, Z. F.; Wang, N.; Yuan, J. P. el al.: “Numerical simulation of the electron capture process in a magnetar interior”, 2011, Ap&SS, 332, 129-138.
13. Gao, Z. F.; Peng, Q. H.; Wang, N.; Chou, C. K.; Huo, W. S.: ”The Landau level-superfluid modified factor and the overal soft X/γ-ray efficiency coefficient of a magnetar”, 2011, Ap&SS, 336(2), 427-439.
14. Yuan, J. P.; Wang, N.; Manchester, R. N.; Liu, Z. Y.: “29 glitches detected at Urumqi Observatory”, 2010, MNRAS, 404, 289-304.
15. Yuan, J. P.; Manchester, R. N.; Wang, N.; Zhou, X.; Liu, Z. Y.; Gao, Z. F.: “A Very Large Glitch in PSR B2334+61”, 2010, ApJ, 719L, 111-115.
16. Lv, G. L.; Zhu, C. H.; Wang, Z. J; Wang, N.: “An alternative symbiotic channel to Type Ia supernovae”, 2009, MNRAS, 1086-1095.
17. Smith, D. A.; Guillemot, L.; Camilo, F.; Cognard, I.; Dumora, D.; Espinoza, C.; Freire, P. C. C.; Gotthelf, E. V.; Harding, A. K.; Hobbs, G. B.; Johnston, S.; Kaspi, V. M.; Kramer, M.; Livingstone, M. A.; Lyne, A. G.; Manchester, R. N.; Marshall, F. E.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Noutsos, A.; Ransom, S. M.; Roberts, M. S. E.; Romani, R. W.; Stappers, B. W.; Theureau, G.; Thompson, D. J.; Thorsett, S. E.; Wang, N.; Weltevrede, P.: “ Pulsar timing for the Fermi gamma-ray space telescope”, 2008, A&A, 492(3), 923-931.
18. Wang, N.; Yan, Z.; Manchester, R. N.; Wang, H. X., “Daily observations of interstellar scintillation in PSR B0329+54”, 2008, MNRAS, 385, 1393-1401.
19. Zou, W. Z.; Wang, N.; Manchester, R. N.; Urama, J. O.; Hobbs, G.; Liu, Z. Y.; Yuan, J. P., “Observations of six glitches in PSR B1737-30”, 2008, MNRAS, 384, 1063-1068.
20. Esamdin, A.; Zhao, C. S.; Yan, Y.; Wang, N.; Nizamidin, H.; Liu, Z. Y.: “Timing observations of  Rotating Radio Transient J1819-1458 at Urumqi observatory”, 2008, MNRAS, 389, 1399-1404.
21. Wang, N., Manchester, R. N.; Johnston, S.: “Pulsar nulling and mode changing”, 2007, MNRAS, 377, 1383-1392.
22. Wei, Ying-Chun; Peng, Qiu-He; Wu, Xin-Ji; Zhang, Ming; Wang, Na; Zhou, Zhi-Gang; A, Esamdin: “The Influences of the Velocity Distribution and the Thickness Effect of Galactic Disk on the Z-distribution of Normal Pulsars”, 2007, ChJAA, 31(1), 11-20.
23. Liu, Z. Y.; Wang, N.; Urama, J. O.; Manchester, R. N.: “Monitoring of Pulse Intensity and Mode Changing for PSR B0329+54”, 2006, ChJAS, 6b, 64-67.
24. Wang, N.; Manchester, R. N.; Johnston, S.; Rickett, B.; Zhang, J.; Yusup, A.; Chen, M.: “ Long-term scintillation observations of five pulsars at 1540 MHz”,  2005, MNRAS, 358, 270-282.
25. Zou, W. Z.; Hobbs, G.; Wang, N.; Manchester, R. N.: “Timing measurements and proper motions of 74 pulsars using the Nanshan radio telescope”, 2005, MNRAS, 362, 1189-1198.
26.  Johnston, Simon; Ball, Lewis; Wang, N.; Manchester, R. N.: “Radio observations of PSR B1259-63 through the 2004 periastron passage”, 2005, MNRAS, 358, 1069-1075.
27. Wang, N.; Johnston, S.; Manchester, R. N.: “13 years of timing of PSR B1259-63”, 2004, MNRAS, 315, 599-606.
28. Zou, W. Z.; Wang, N.; Wang, H. X.; Manchester, R. N.; Wu, X. J.; Zhang, J.: “Unusual glitch behaviours of two young pulsars”, 2004, MNRAS, 354, 811-814.
29. Wang, N.; Manchester, R. N.; Zhang, J.; Wu, X. J.; Yusup, A.; Lyne, A. G.; Cheng, K. S.; Chen, M. Z.: “Pulsar timing at Urumqi Astronomical Observatory: system and results”, 2001, MNRAS, 328, 855-866.
30. Wang, Na; Manchester, R. N.; Yusup, Aili; Wu, Xinji; Zhang, Jin; Chen, Maozheng: “Scintillation Observations of Strong Northern Pulsars”, 2001, Ap&SS, 278, 57-60.
31. Wang, N.; Manchester, R. N.; Pace R. T. et al.: “Glitches in southern pulsars”, 2000, MNRAS, 317, 843-860.

To reach us:
150 Science 1-Street, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011, China
Email: zhucui@xao.ac.cn
Fax: +86-991-3838628