Stochastic gravitational wave background constraints from Gaia DR3 astrometry

2023/07/17 by Santiago Jaraba, J. García-Bellido, Juan García-Bellido +4 · 27 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrometry #Astrophysics #Atomic physics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dipole #General relativity #Gravitational wave #Gravitational wave background #Mathematical physics #Omega #Physics #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Quadrupole #Quantum mechanics #Stars #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Very-long-baseline interferometry

paper · doi:10.1093/mnras/stad2141

published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 524(3), 3609-3622 (Oxford University Press)

openalex publication_date 2023/07/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/13

Abstract

ABSTRACT Astrometric surveys can be used to constrain the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) at very low frequencies. We use proper motion data provided by Gaia DR3 to fit a generic dipole+quadrupole field. We analyse several quasar-based data sets and discuss their purity and idoneity to set constraints on gravitational waves. For the cleanest data set, we derive an upper bound on the (frequency-integrated) energy density of the SGWB h₇₀²Ω _{\rm GW}\lesssim 0.087 for 4.2 × 10−18 Hz ≲ f ≲ 1.1 × 10−8 Hz. We also reanalyse previous VLBI-based data to set the constraint h₇₀²Ω _{\rm GW}\lesssim 0.024 for 5.8 × 10−18 Hz ≲ f ≲ 1.4 × 10−9 Hz under the same formalism, standing as the best astrometric constraint on GWs. Based on our results, we discuss the potential of future Gaia data releases to impose tighter constraints.

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