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 100ns. 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/(1cycle/year)]-1/2 for f<3×10-8Hz, 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. © 2011 American Physical Society.
Recommended Citation
Fredrick A. Jenet, et. al., (2011) Pulsar timing sensitivity to very-low-frequency gravitational waves.Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology83:8. DOI: 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