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arxiv 2105.13270 v1 pith:KX6GT73Z submitted 2021-05-27 astro-ph.HE gr-qcstat.AP

The Nanohertz Gravitational Wave Astronomer

classification astro-ph.HE gr-qcstat.AP
keywords gravitationaldatapulsarwavesdetectionprecisionpulsarsreader
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal T4 reserved
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Gravitational waves are a radically new way to peer into the darkest depths of the cosmos. Pulsars can be used to make direct detections of gravitational waves through precision timing. When a gravitational wave passes between a pulsar and the Earth, it stretches and squeezes the intermediate space-time, leading to deviations of the measured pulse arrival times away from model expectations. Combining the data from many Galactic pulsars can corroborate such a signal, and enhance its detection significance. This technique is known as a Pulsar Timing Array (PTA). Here I provide an overview of PTAs as a precision gravitational-wave detection instrument, then review the types of signal and noise processes that we encounter in typical pulsar data analysis. I take a pragmatic approach, illustrating how searches are performed in real life, and where possible directing the reader to codes or techniques that they can explore for themselves. The goal is to provide theoretical background and practical recipes for data exploration that allow the reader to join in the exciting hunt for very low frequency gravitational waves.

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Cited by 10 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score.

  1. Population statistics of nanohertz gravitational wave sources

    astro-ph.HE 2026-07 conditional novelty 6.0

    A hierarchical Bayesian inference framework combining free-spectrum reconstruction with population-level likelihoods distinguishes finite SMBHB populations from Gaussian primordial GWB using mock PTA data.

  2. Projecting the ultimate pulsar timing sensitivity to dark matter substructure in a stochastic gravitational wave background

    astro-ph.CO 2026-06 unverdicted novelty 6.0

    Monte Carlo and ML surrogate framework projects PTA sensitivity to compact DM substructures and shows SGWB weakens it, with only Shapiro searches retaining sensitivity in optimistic cases.

  3. A comprehensive framework for phase-coherent mapping of the gravitational-wave sky with pulsar timing arrays

    astro-ph.HE 2026-04 unverdicted novelty 6.0

    A new phase-coherent mapping framework for pulsar timing arrays that preserves the complete complex polarization state of the gravitational-wave sky in compact maps usable for multiple analyses.

  4. The Heavy Tailed Non-Gaussianity of the Supermassive Black Hole Gravitational Wave Background

    astro-ph.CO 2026-04 unverdicted novelty 6.0

    The gravitational wave background from supermassive black hole binaries has a universal heavy-tailed amplitude distribution with power-law index -4, causing divergent higher moments and dominance of the strongest sign...

  5. From Detection to Host Galaxy Identification: Precision Continuous Gravitational Wave Localization with a Few Anchor Pulsars

    astro-ph.GA 2026-03 unverdicted novelty 6.0

    A small set of anchor pulsars with sub-wavelength distance precision can reduce 90% credible sky localization areas to 0.1-9.2 square degrees at SNR 20, enabling host galaxy identification.

  6. Stochastic gravitational-wave background search using data from five pulsar timing arrays

    astro-ph.CO 2025-12 conditional novelty 6.0

    Combined five-PTA dataset yields posterior on SGWB power-law amplitude and index consistent with nonzero signal but below 5-sigma significance, with reconstructed angular correlations matching the Hellings-Downs prediction.

  7. Addressing prior dependence in hierarchical Bayesian modeling for PTA data analysis II: Noise and SGWB inference through parameter decorrelation

    astro-ph.IM 2025-11 unverdicted novelty 6.0

    A reparametrized hierarchical Bayesian approach using normalizing flows and orthogonal projection of hyperparameters yields tighter noise constraints and partially breaks the red-noise-SGWB degeneracy in a minimal 3-p...

  8. Expectations for the first supermassive black-hole binary resolved by PTAs II: Milestones for binary characterization

    astro-ph.IM 2025-10 unverdicted novelty 5.0

    Simulations of continuous-wave searches show that PTA data first constrain GW frequency and strain amplitude together, then sky location, with chirp mass and inclination following later for evolving sources, with prec...

  9. Expectations for the first supermassive black-hole binary resolved by PTAs I: Model efficacy

    astro-ph.IM 2025-10 unverdicted novelty 5.0

    Simulations of PTA data show that a full gravitational-wave signal template achieves the highest Bayes factors and most robust parameter estimation for individual supermassive black hole binaries compared to an Earth-...

  10. Constraints on Ultralight Scalar and Dark Photon Dark Matter from PPTA-DR3 and EPTA-DR2

    astro-ph.CO 2026-05 unverdicted novelty 4.0

    Bayesian analysis of PPTA-DR3 and EPTA-DR2 finds no statistically significant ULDM signals and sets 95% CL upper limits on scalar and dark photon dark matter, improving prior bounds in most mass ranges.