The MeerKAT Pulsar Timing Array: the first search for gravitational waves with the MeerKAT radio telescope

2024/12/02 by Matthew T. Miles, Matthew T Miles, Ryan M. Shannon +45 · 1 voice · 89 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Gravitational wave #Optics #Physics #Pulsar #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology #Radio telescope #Radio wave #Telescope

paper · pdf · open access · doi:10.1093/mnras/stae2571

published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 536(2), 1489-1500 (Oxford University Press)

openalex publication_date 2024/12/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pulsar timing arrays search for nanohertz-frequency gravitational waves by regularly observing ensembles of millisecond pulsars over many years to look for correlated timing residuals. Recently the first evidence for a stochastic gravitational wave background has been presented by the major arrays, with varying levels of significance (∼ 2σ - 4σ). In this paper, we present the results of background searches with the MeerKAT Pulsar Timing Array. Although of limited duration (4.5 yr), the ∼ 250 000 arrival times with a median error of just 3 μ \rm s on 83 pulsars make it very sensitive to spatial correlations. Detection of a gravitational wave background requires careful modelling of noise processes to ensure that any correlations represent a fit to the underlying background and not other misspecified processes. Under different assumptions about noise processes, we can produce either what appear to be compelling Hellings–Downs correlations of high significance (3σ - 3.4σ) with a spectrum close to that which is predicted, or surprisingly, under slightly different assumptions, ones that are insignificant. This appears to be related to the fact that many of the highest precision MeerKAT Pulsar Timing Array pulsars are in close proximity and dominate the detection statistics. The sky-averaged characteristic strain amplitude of the correlated signal in our most significant model is h_\rm c, \rm yr = 7.5^+0.8_-0.9 × 10^-15 measured at a spectral index of α =-0.26, decreasing to h_\rm c, \rm yr = 4.8^+0.8_-0.9 × 10^-15 when assessed at the predicted α =-2/3. These data will be valuable as the International Pulsar Timing Array project explores the significance of gravitational wave detections and their dependence on the assumed noise models.

Citations

• The Weighted Likelihood Ratio, Linear Hypotheses on Normal Location Parameters
• Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger

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Discussions

• New gravitational-wave results from MeerKAT 📡 Reassuringly, like other pulsar timing arrays, they are seeing evidence for a signal (still at evidence for level, not at detection level) Interesting, [bsky, 65 points, 2 comments]

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