Since pulsars are effectively point sources, they are seen to scintillate because of multipath propagation (i.e., scattering) through the ionised interstellar medium. In recent years it has become increasingly apparent that the scattering in most pulsars arises from incredibly small regions along the line of sight, which we call scattering screens. The origin of many of these screens is unknown and represents something of a puzzle. 'Scintillometry' of pulsars has proven to be a sensitive tool for measuring the properties of these screens and we are now moving towards a more complete understanding of the population of these mysterious scattering screens. In this talk, I will describe the concepts behind scintillometry while highlighting some of the key results from recent years and the exciting direction that the field will take in the future as new facilities come online.

https://www.union.edu/physics-and-astronomy/faculty-staff/james-mckee