Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-11-2011
Abstract
We compute the sensitivity, constrained by instrumental, propagation, and other fundamental noises, of pulsar timing to very-low-frequency gravitational waves (GWs). Reaching predicted GW signal strengths will require suppression of time-of-arrival fluctuations caused by interstellar plasma turbulence and a reduction of white rms timing noise to ≲100 ns. Assuming negligible intrinsic pulsar rotational noise, perfect time transfer from time standard to observatory, and stable pulse profiles, the resulting single-pulsar signal-to-noise ratio=1 sensitivity is limited by terrestrial time standards at ℎrms∼2×10−16 [f/(1 cycle/year)]−1/2 for 𝑓<3×10−8 Hz, where f is the Fourier frequency and a bandwidth of 1 cycle/(10 years) is assumed. Since this sensitivity is comparable to predicted GW signal levels, a reliable detection will require substantial signal-to-noise ratio improvement via pulsar timing array.
Recommended Citation
Jenet, Fredrick A., J. W. Armstrong, and Massimo Tinto. "Pulsar timing sensitivity to very-low-frequency gravitational waves." Physical Review D—Particles, Fields, Gravitation, and Cosmology 83, no. 8 (2011): 081301. http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.83.081301
Publication Title
Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevD.83.081301
Comments
© Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology. Original version available at: http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.83.081301