The Galactic bulge is theorized to host a rich population of millisecond pulsars (MSPs), but direct detections have been severely hampered by high interstellar scattering, dispersion, and background noise near the Galactic center. These MSPs, if confirmed, would serve as powerful tools for testing gravity, studying dense matter, and probing gravitational waves. A key indirect tracer of this population is the Fermi GeV excess (FGE), an unresolved gamma-ray signal possibly originating from thousands of faint MSPs. However, the lack of direct detections has limited our ability to test this hypothesis. The MeerKAT Galactic Bulge Survey (MGBS) is the most sensitive pulsar search yet of this region, targeting the bulge MSP population. Early results from MGBS have already revealed several promising MSP candidates. We propose to use Murriyang to conduct targeted follow-up observations of three of the most compelling candidates from MGBS. Our goals are to confirm the pulsations, refine key parameters such as spectral indices and orbital characteristics, and strengthen their association with the bulge. Confirming even a handful of bulge MSPs would have wide-reaching impact: constraining the origin of the FGE, testing dark matter interpretations, refining models of Galactic structure, and improving predictions for low-frequency gravitational wave backgrounds. This proposal is a critical next step toward establishing a long-sought bulge MSP population and unlocking new physics from the inner Galaxy.

The Galactic bulge is theorized to host a rich population of millisecond pulsars (MSPs), but direct detections have been severely hampered by high interstellar scattering, dispersion, and background noise near the Galactic center. These MSPs, if confirmed, would serve as powerful tools for testing gravity, studying dense matter, and probing gravitational waves. A key indirect tracer of this population is the Fermi GeV excess (FGE), an unresolved gamma-ray signal possibly originating from thousands of faint MSPs. However, the lack of direct detections has limited our ability to test this hypothesis. The MeerKAT Galactic Bulge Survey (MGBS) is the most sensitive pulsar search yet of this region, targeting the bulge MSP population. Early results from MGBS have already revealed several promising MSP candidates. We propose to use Murriyang to conduct targeted follow-up observations of three of the most compelling candidates from MGBS. Our goals are to confirm the pulsations, refine key parameters such as spectral indices and orbital characteristics, and strengthen their association with the bulge. Confirming even a handful of bulge MSPs would have wide-reaching impact: constraining the origin of the FGE, testing dark matter interpretations, refining models of Galactic structure, and improving predictions for low-frequency gravitational wave backgrounds. This proposal is a critical next step toward establishing a long-sought bulge MSP population and unlocking new physics from the inner Galaxy.

The existence of a population of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in the Galactic bulge is supported, among others, by the Fermi GeV excess, a signal of gamma rays coming from the Galactic center (GC) direction and resembling the cumulative emission of known MSPs. A previous study showed that, while these MSPs are unresolved in gamma rays, some of them could have been detected in past X-ray observations. The authors also identified a large number of MSP candidates among unidentified X-ray sources. By analyzing unpublished radio images, we found interesting radio counterparts to 6 of those candidates, and were granted 20h of observations with the Green Bank Telescope to settle on their nature. We discovered two new MSPs, PSR J1740-2807 and PSR J1740-2805, towards one of our radio/X-ray targets, bringing to 4 the number of highly-dispersed MSPs in the GC direction and probably unveiling the first direct evidence of a bulge MSP population. We propose to carry out regular timing of these pulsar with Parkes, in order to reveal their properties and potentially claim association of PSR J1740-2807 with the original X-ray source. The follow up of these sources will have a major impact on our understanding of the Fermi GeV excess.

The prevalence of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in and around the Galactic center and the bulge has been one of the key questions in pulsar astronomy. In addition to finding more exotic and interesting binary systems at and around the Galactic center and bulge due to the enhanced density of stars/stellar remnants, MSPs are also proposed to be one of the candidates to explain the observed Fermi gamma-ray excess. However, most of the MSPs discovered so far are field (disk) MSPs or those in globular clusters. Initial steps towards addressing the question of Galactic center/bulge MSPs were made with the discovery of the first MSPs in a Galactic filament, but more progress comes from the discovery of a sample of MSPs around the Galactic center. Blind surveys targeting MSPs can suffer from many observational biases that smear the pulses due to binary acceleration, scattering from the enhanced density, and so on, which increases the parameter space for discovery and can sometimes make the problem intractable. However, if pulsar candidates can be identified reliably from imaging surveys, then targeted observations can make the problem tractable in identifying the pulsations. We followed up a sample of polarized sources identified in the MeerKAT bulge imaging survey and discovered a sample of 16 new MSPs. Here we request the timing observations of 8 interesting MSPs (a subset of our discovery sample), to study the binary nature of these sources and their potential inclusion in pulsar timing array efforts.

The prevalence of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in and around the Galactic center and the bulge has been one of the key questions in pulsar astronomy. In addition to finding more exotic and interesting binary systems at and around the Galactic center and bulge due to the enhanced density of stars/stellar remnants, MSPs are also proposed to be one of the candidates to explain the observed Fermi gamma-ray excess. However, most of the MSPs discovered so far are field (disk) MSPs or those in globular clusters. Initial steps towards addressing the question of Galactic center/bulge MSPs were made with the discovery of the first MSPs in a Galactic filament, but more progress comes from the discovery of a sample of MSPs around the Galactic center. Blind surveys targeting MSPs can suffer from many observational biases that smear the pulses due to binary acceleration, scattering from the enhanced density, and so on, which increases the parameter space for discovery and can sometimes make the problem intractable. However, if pulsar candidates can be identified reliably from imaging surveys, then targeted observations can make the problem tractable in identifying the pulsations. We followed up a sample of polarized sources identified in the MeerKAT bulge imaging survey and discovered a sample of 16 new MSPs. Here we request the timing observations of 8 interesting MSPs (a subset of our discovery sample), to study the binary nature of these sources and their potential inclusion in pulsar timing array efforts.

The prevalence of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in and around the Galactic center and the bulge has been one of the key questions in pulsar astronomy. In addition to finding more exotic and interesting binary systems at and around the Galactic center and bulge due to the enhanced density of stars/stellar remnants, MSPs are also proposed to be one of the candidates to explain the observed Fermi gamma-ray excess. However, most of the MSPs discovered so far are field (disk) MSPs or those in globular clusters. Initial steps towards addressing the question of Galactic center/bulge MSPs were made with the discovery of the first MSPs in a Galactic filament, but more progress comes from the discovery of a sample of MSPs around the Galactic center. Blind surveys targeting MSPs can suffer from many observational biases that smear the pulses due to binary acceleration, scattering from the enhanced density, and so on, which increases the parameter space for discovery and can sometimes make the problem intractable. However, if pulsar candidates can be identified reliably from imaging surveys, then targeted observations can make the problem tractable in identifying the pulsations. We followed up a sample of polarized sources identified in the MeerKAT bulge imaging survey and discovered a sample of 16 new MSPs. Here we request the timing observations of 8 interesting MSPs (a subset of our discovery sample), to study the binary nature of these sources and their potential inclusion in pulsar timing array efforts.

The prevalence of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in and around the Galactic center and the bulge has been one of the key questions in pulsar astronomy. In addition to finding more exotic and interesting binary systems at and around the Galactic center and bulge due to the enhanced density of stars/stellar remnants, MSPs are also proposed to be one of the candidates to explain the observed Fermi gamma-ray excess. However, most of the MSPs discovered so far are field (disk) MSPs or those in globular clusters. Initial steps towards addressing the question of Galactic center/bulge MSPs were made with the discovery of the first MSPs in a Galactic filament, but more progress comes from the discovery of a sample of MSPs around the Galactic center. Blind surveys targeting MSPs can suffer from many observational biases that smear the pulses due to binary acceleration, scattering from the enhanced density, and so on, which increases the parameter space for discovery and can sometimes make the problem intractable. However, if pulsar candidates can be identified reliably from imaging surveys, then targeted observations can make the problem tractable in identifying the pulsations. We followed up a sample of polarized sources identified in the MeerKAT bulge imaging survey and discovered a sample of 16 new MSPs. Here we request the timing observations of 8 interesting MSPs (a subset of our discovery sample), to study the binary nature of these sources and their potential inclusion in pulsar timing array efforts.

The prevalence of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in and around the Galactic center and the bulge has been one of the key questions in pulsar astronomy. In addition to finding more exotic and interesting binary systems at and around the Galactic center and bulge due to the enhanced density of stars/stellar remnants, MSPs are also proposed to be one of the candidates to explain the observed Fermi gamma-ray excess. However, most of the MSPs discovered so far are field (disk) MSPs or those in globular clusters. Initial steps towards addressing the question of Galactic center/bulge MSPs were made with the discovery of the first MSPs in a Galactic filament, but more progress comes from the discovery of a sample of MSPs around the Galactic center. Blind surveys targeting MSPs can suffer from many observational biases that smear the pulses due to binary acceleration, scattering from the enhanced density, and so on, which increases the parameter space for discovery and can sometimes make the problem intractable. However, if pulsar candidates can be identified reliably from imaging surveys, then targeted observations can make the problem tractable in identifying the pulsations. We followed up a sample of polarized sources identified in the MeerKAT bulge imaging survey and discovered a sample of 16 new MSPs. Here we request the timing observations of 8 interesting MSPs (a subset of our discovery sample), to study the binary nature of these sources and their potential inclusion in pulsar timing array efforts.

The prevalence of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in and around the Galactic center and the bulge has been one of the key questions in pulsar astronomy. In addition to finding more exotic and interesting binary systems at and around the Galactic center and bulge due to the enhanced density of stars/stellar remnants, MSPs are also proposed to be one of the candidates to explain the observed Fermi gamma-ray excess. However, most of the MSPs discovered so far are field (disk) MSPs or those in globular clusters. Initial steps towards addressing the question of Galactic center/bulge MSPs were made with the discovery of the first MSPs in a Galactic filament, but more progress comes from the discovery of a sample of MSPs around the Galactic center. Blind surveys targeting MSPs can suffer from many observational biases that smear the pulses due to binary acceleration, scattering from the enhanced density, and so on, which increases the parameter space for discovery and can sometimes make the problem intractable. However, if pulsar candidates can be identified reliably from imaging surveys, then targeted observations can make the problem tractable in identifying the pulsations. We followed up a sample of polarized sources identified in the MeerKAT bulge imaging survey and discovered a sample of 16 new MSPs. Here we request the timing observations of 8 interesting MSPs (a subset of our discovery sample), to study the binary nature of these sources and their potential inclusion in pulsar timing array efforts.

The prevalence of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in and around the Galactic center and the bulge has been one of the key questions in pulsar astronomy. In addition to finding more exotic and interesting binary systems at and around the Galactic center and bulge due to the enhanced density of stars/stellar remnants, MSPs are also proposed to be one of the candidates to explain the observed Fermi gamma-ray excess. However, most of the MSPs discovered so far are field (disk) MSPs or those in globular clusters. Initial steps towards addressing the question of Galactic center/bulge MSPs were made with the discovery of the first MSPs in a Galactic filament, but more progress comes from the discovery of a sample of MSPs around the Galactic center. Blind surveys targeting MSPs can suffer from many observational biases that smear the pulses due to binary acceleration, scattering from the enhanced density, and so on, which increases the parameter space for discovery and can sometimes make the problem intractable. However, if pulsar candidates can be identified reliably from imaging surveys, then targeted observations can make the problem tractable in identifying the pulsations. We followed up a sample of polarized sources identified in the MeerKAT bulge imaging survey and discovered a sample of 16 new MSPs. Here we request the timing observations of 8 interesting MSPs (a subset of our discovery sample), to study the binary nature of these sources and their potential inclusion in pulsar timing array efforts.