Detecting the Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background Using Pulsar Timing

2005/04/21 by Fredrick Jenet, Fredrick A. Jenet, George B. Hobbs +4 · 269 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Geophysics and Gravity Measurements #Gravitational wave #Gravitational wave background #Physics #Pulsar #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology #Range (aeronautics) #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/431220

published in The Astrophysical Journal 625(2), L123-L126 (IOP Publishing) · Accepted by ApJ Letters

arxiv created 2005/04/21 · openalex publication_date 2005/05/09 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2020/11/23 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

The direct detection of gravitational waves is a major goal of current astrophysics. We provide details of a new method for detecting a stochastic background of gravitational waves using pulsar timing data. Our results show that regular timing observations of 40 pulsars each with a timing accuracy of 100 ns will be able to make a direct detection of the predicted stochastic background from coalescing black holes within 5 years. With an improved prewhitening algorithm, or if the background is at the upper end of the predicted range, a significant detection should be possible with only 20 pulsars.

Citations

• Gravitational wave experiments and early universe cosmology

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