Discovery of Millisecond Pulsars in Globular Clusters

Globular clusters are known to be rich pulsar laboratories. Their extreme stellar densities imply high stellar interaction rates, which in turn lead to the production of many X-ray binaries and, hence, to spun-up millisecond pulsars (MSPs). The high interactions rates in GCs can also alter the typical evolution of binary systems, resulting in the formation of exotic binaries with unconventional properties. These are valuable, as they can help us put limits on neutron star (NS) masses and constrain NS equation of state. With 206 known pulsars in 35 different clusters, GCs currently account for about 40% of the total known MSP population in our Galaxy. In this talk, I will present the results of two pulsar search surveys carried out in different globular clusters using the MeerKAT and upgraded GMRT radio telescopes. I will discuss some of the interesting binary pulsar discoveries formed as a result of a "secondary" exchange encounter, where the original companion that spun the pulsar up was ejected and replaced by the current companion. The pulsars discovered by MeerKAT represent a notable test case of the capability of the MeerKAT telescope as a precursor for SKA science.