scholarly journals Pulsars Probe the Low-Frequency Gravitational Sky: Pulsar Timing Arrays Basics and Recent Results

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caterina Tiburzi
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Waves ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Radio Telescopes ◽  
Detection Algorithms ◽  
Pulsar Timing ◽  
Upper Limits ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Timing Models ◽  
Pulsar Timing Array

AbstractPulsar Timing Array experiments exploit the clock-like behaviour of an array of millisecond pulsars, with the goal of detecting low-frequency gravitational waves. Pulsar Timing Array experiments have been in operation over the last decade, led by groups in Europe, Australia, and North America. These experiments use the most sensitive radio telescopes in the world, extremely precise pulsar timing models and sophisticated detection algorithms to increase the sensitivity of Pulsar Timing Arrays. No detection of gravitational waves has been made to date with this technique, but Pulsar Timing Array upper limits already contributed to rule out some models of galaxy formation. Moreover, a new generation of radio telescopes, such as the Five hundred metre Aperture Spherical Telescope and, in particular, the Square Kilometre Array, will offer a significant improvement to the Pulsar Timing Array sensitivity. In this article, we review the basic concepts of Pulsar Timing Array experiments, and discuss the latest results from the established Pulsar Timing Array collaborations.

scholarly journals The International Pulsar Timing Array: second data release

2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (4) ◽  
pp. 4666-4687 ◽  
Author(s):  
B B P Perera ◽  
M E DeCesar ◽  
P B Demorest ◽  
M Kerr ◽  
L Lentati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Waves ◽  
High Precision ◽  
Noise Analysis ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
The North ◽  
Pulsar Timing ◽  
Data Release ◽  
Timing Data ◽  
Noise Models ◽  
Pulsar Timing Array

ABSTRACT In this paper, we describe the International Pulsar Timing Array second data release, which includes recent pulsar timing data obtained by three regional consortia: the European Pulsar Timing Array, the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves, and the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array. We analyse and where possible combine high-precision timing data for 65 millisecond pulsars which are regularly observed by these groups. A basic noise analysis, including the processes which are both correlated and uncorrelated in time, provides noise models and timing ephemerides for the pulsars. We find that the timing precisions of pulsars are generally improved compared to the previous data release, mainly due to the addition of new data in the combination. The main purpose of this work is to create the most up-to-date IPTA data release. These data are publicly available for searches for low-frequency gravitational waves and other pulsar science.

scholarly journals PULSAR TIMING ARRAYS

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (01) ◽  
pp. 1341008 ◽  
Author(s):  
BHAL CHANDRA JOSHI
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Gravitational Waves ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Radio Pulsars ◽  
Very Low Frequency ◽  
Pulsar Timing ◽  
Gravitational Wave Background ◽  
Pulsar Timing Array ◽  
Current Operating

In the last decade, the use of an ensemble of radio pulsars to constrain the characteristic strain caused by a stochastic gravitational wave background has advanced the cause of detection of very low frequency gravitational waves (GWs) significantly. This electromagnetic means of GW detection, called Pulsar Timing Array (PTA), is reviewed in this paper. The principle of operation of PTA, the current operating PTAs and their status are presented along with a discussion of the main challenges in the detection of GWs using PTA.

scholarly journals Principles of Gravitational-Wave Detection with Pulsar Timing Arrays

Symmetry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2418
Author(s):  
Michele Maiorano ◽  
Francesco De Paolis ◽  
Achille A. Nucita
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Gravitational Waves ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Black Hole Binaries ◽  
Pulsar Timing ◽  
Time Correlations ◽  
Array Detection ◽  
Square Kilometer Array ◽  
Gravitational Wave Background ◽  
Pulsar Timing Array

Pulsar timing uses the highly stable pulsar spin period to investigate many astrophysical topics. In particular, pulsar timing arrays make use of a set of extremely well-timed pulsars and their time correlations as a challenging detector of gravitational waves. It turns out that pulsar timing arrays are particularly sensitive to ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves, which makes them complementary to other gravitational-wave detectors. Here, we summarize the basics, focusing especially on supermassive black-hole binaries and cosmic strings, which have the potential to form a stochastic gravitational-wave background in the pulsar timing array detection band, and the scientific goals on this challenging topic. We also briefly outline the recent interesting results of the main pulsar timing array collaborations, which have found strong evidence of a common-spectrum process compatible with a stochastic gravitational-wave background and mention some new perspectives that are particularly interesting in view of the forthcoming radio observatories such as the Five hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, the MeerKAT telescope, and the Square Kilometer Array.

scholarly journals Gravitational-Wave Detection Using Pulsars: Status of the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array Project

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. B. Hobbs ◽  
M. Bailes ◽  
N. D. R. Bhat ◽  
S. Burke-Spolaor ◽  
D. J. Champion ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Gravitational Waves ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Binary Black Holes ◽  
Gravitational Wave Detection ◽  
Wave Detection ◽  
Pulsar Timing ◽  
Pulsar Timing Array

AbstractThe first direct detection of gravitational waves may be made through observations of pulsars. The principal aim of pulsar timing-array projects being carried out worldwide is to detect ultra-low frequency gravitational waves (f ∼ 10−9–10−8 Hz). Such waves are expected to be caused by coalescing supermassive binary black holes in the cores of merged galaxies. It is also possible that a detectable signal could have been produced in the inflationary era or by cosmic strings. In this paper, we review the current status of the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array project (the only such project in the Southern hemisphere) and compare the pulsar timing technique with other forms of gravitational-wave detection such as ground- and space-based interferometer systems.

scholarly journals Stochastic and continuous gravitational wave analysis pipelines for pulsar timing array data

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S291) ◽  
pp. 178-178
Author(s):  
Justin Ellis ◽  
Fredrick Jenet ◽  
Xavier Siemens ◽  
Maura McLaughlin
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Gravitational Waves ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Wave Analysis ◽  
Stochastic Background ◽  
Pulsar Timing ◽  
Timing Data ◽  
Timing Models ◽  
Pulsar Timing Array

AbstractThe Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) collaboration aims to detect gravitational waves (GWs) through the precise timing of millisecond pulsars. GWs will come in the form of a stochastic background, continuous sources and burst sources. Here we will review recent progress on the development of data analysis pipelines aimed at the detection of a stochastic background as well as continuous sources. We will introduce the Optimal Statistic and F-Statistic methods that are used in the stochastic and continuous pipelines, respectively. Both pipelines are fully functional on real pulsar timing data and take into account the timing models for each pulsar. Finally, we will present the efficacy of each pipeline on locally simulated data as well as data from the 2012 IPTA data challenge.

scholarly journals Searching for gravitational-wave bursts from cosmic string cusps with the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array

2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (1) ◽  
pp. 701-712
Author(s):  
N Yonemaru ◽  
S Kuroyanagi ◽  
G Hobbs ◽  
K Takahashi ◽  
X-J Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
False Alarm ◽  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Cosmic String ◽  
Cosmic Strings ◽  
False Alarm Probability ◽  
String Tension ◽  
Detection Algorithm ◽  
Pulsar Timing ◽  
Upper Limits ◽  
Pulsar Timing Array

ABSTRACT Cosmic strings are potential gravitational-wave (GW) sources that can be probed by pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). In this work we develop a detection algorithm for a GW burst from a cusp on a cosmic string, and apply it to Parkes PTA data. We find four events with a false alarm probability less than 1 per cent. However further investigation shows that all of these are likely to be spurious. As there are no convincing detections we place upper limits on the GW amplitude for different event durations. From these bounds we place limits on the cosmic string tension of Gμ ∼ 10−5, and highlight that this bound is independent from those obtained using other techniques. We discuss the physical implications of our results and the prospect of probing cosmic strings in the era of Square Kilometre Array.

scholarly journals Pulsar science with the CHIME telescope

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (S337) ◽  
pp. 179-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cherry Ng
Keyword(s):  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Radio Telescope ◽  
Field Of View ◽  
Radio Bursts ◽  
Radio Telescopes ◽  
Acoustic Oscillations ◽  
Daily Monitoring ◽  
Intensity Mapping ◽  
Pulsar Timing ◽  
Pulsar Timing Array

AbstractThe CHIME telescope (the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment) recently built in Penticton, Canada, is currently being commissioned. Originally designed as a cosmology experiment, it was soon recognized that CHIME has the potential to simultaneously serve as an incredibly useful radio telescope for pulsar science. CHIME operates across a wide bandwidth of 400–800 MHz and will have a collecting area and sensitivity comparable to that of the 100-m class radio telescopes. CHIME has a huge field of view of ~250 square degrees. It will be capable of observing 10 pulsars simultaneously, 24-hours per day, every day, while still accomplishing its missions to study Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and Fast Radio Bursts. It will carry out daily monitoring of roughly half of all pulsars in the northern hemisphere, including all NANOGrav pulsars employed in the Pulsar Timing Array project. It will cycle through all pulsars in the northern hemisphere with a range of cadence of no more than 10 days.

Limiting and Detecting Gravitational Waves with a Pulsar Timing Array

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. B. Yardley ◽  
W. A. Coles ◽  
G. B. Hobbs ◽  
R. N. Manchester ◽  
Marta Burgay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Waves ◽  
Pulsar Timing ◽  
Pulsar Timing Array

scholarly journals Identifying and mitigating noise sources in precision pulsar timing data sets

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Goncharov ◽  
D J Reardon ◽  
R M Shannon ◽  
Xing-Jiang Zhu ◽  
Eric Thrane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Waves ◽  
Physical Models ◽  
Dispersion Measure ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Pulse Profile ◽  
Noise Sources ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
Pulsar Timing ◽  
Noise Models ◽  
Pulsar Timing Array

Abstract Pulsar timing array projects measure the pulse arrival times of millisecond pulsars for the primary purpose of detecting nanohertz-frequency gravitational waves. The measurements include contributions from a number of astrophysical and instrumental processes, which can either be deterministic or stochastic. It is necessary to develop robust statistical and physical models for these noise processes because incorrect models diminish sensitivity and may cause a spurious gravitational wave detection. Here we characterise noise processes for the 26 pulsars in the second data release of the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array using Bayesian inference. In addition to well-studied noise sources found previously in pulsar timing array data sets such as achromatic timing noise and dispersion measure variations, we identify new noise sources including time-correlated chromatic noise that we attribute to variations in pulse scattering. We also identify “exponential dip” events in four pulsars, which we attribute to magnetospheric effects as evidenced by pulse profile shape changes observed for three of the pulsars. This includes an event in PSR J1713+0747, which had previously been attributed to interstellar propagation. We present noise models to be used in searches for gravitational waves. We outline a robust methodology to evaluate the performance of noise models and identify unknown signals in the data. The detection of variations in pulse profiles highlights the need to develop efficient profile domain timing methods.

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