PULSAR DEMOGRAPHY AND NEUTRON-STAR ASTROPHYSICS

Pulsars, in particular, millisecond and binary pulsars offer new and unique tests of physics. The explosive birth of neutron stars and coalescence of binary neutron stars are prime targets for planned gravitational wave interferometers. All these applications require a thorough understanding of the statistics of pulsars to reliably estimate detection frequencies and thresholds. There are many aspects of the origin and evolution of neutron stars that benefit from an appreciation of pulsar phenomenology and statistics. Theoretical understanding of the magnetic field evolution of neutron stars is, at the present, poor. Statistical studies continue to play an important role in guiding us empirically in this area. The shortest spin period of a neutron star directly constrains the equation of state of dense matter. The limitations of current millisecond pulsar searches in this regard is thoroughly reviewed. The prospects and problems of searchers for pulsars with periods below a millisecond are reviewed.