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Proving the short-wavelength approximation in Pulsar Timing Array gravitational-wave background searches

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arxiv 1806.06979 v2 pith:I34DEJZP submitted 2018-06-18 astro-ph.IM astro-ph.GA

Proving the short-wavelength approximation in Pulsar Timing Array gravitational-wave background searches

classification astro-ph.IM astro-ph.GA
keywords pulsargravitational-wavetimeapproximationarrivalbackgroundcalledexpected
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal T4 reserved
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A low-frequency gravitational-wave background (GWB) from the cosmic merger history of supermassive black holes is expected to be detected in the next few years by pulsar timing arrays. A GWB induces distinctive correlations in the pulsar residuals --- the expected arrival time of the pulse less its actual arrival time. Simplifying assumptions are made in order to write an analytic expression for this correlation function, called the Hellings and Downs curve for an isotropic GWB, which depends on the angular separation of the pulsar pairs, the gravitational-wave frequency considered, and the distance to the pulsars. This is called the short-wavelength approximation, which we prove here rigorously and analytically for the first time.

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Cited by 2 Pith papers

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

  1. Fingerprints of Individual Supermassive Black Hole Binaries in Pulsar Timing Arrays

    astro-ph.HE 2026-03 conditional novelty 6.0

    A single supermassive black hole binary imprints a deterministic, direction-dependent correlation fingerprint on pulsar timing arrays, enabling identification via cross-correlations.

  2. Bias from small-scale leakage in Pulsar Timing Array maps

    astro-ph.IM 2025-10 conditional novelty 6.0

    Unmodeled small-scale gravitational-wave power systematically inflates reconstructed large-scale angular power spectra in pulsar timing array anisotropy searches.