Time-domain implementation of the optimal cross-correlation statistic for stochastic gravitational-wave background searches in pulsar timing data
Abstract
Supermassive black hole binaries, cosmic strings, relic gravitational waves from inflation, and first-order phase transitions in the early Universe are expected to contribute to a stochastic background of gravitational waves in the 10^(−9) –10^(−7) Hz frequency band. Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) exploit the high-precision timing of radio pulsars to detect signals at such frequencies. Here we present a time-domain implementation of the optimal cross-correlation statistic for stochastic background searches in PTA data. Due to the irregular sampling typical of PTA data as well as the use of a timing model to predict the times of arrival of radio pulses, time-domain methods are better-suited for gravitational-wave data analysis of such data. We present a derivation of the optimal cross-correlation statistic starting from the likelihood function, a method to produce simulated stochastic background signals, and a rigorous derivation of the scaling laws for the signal-to-noise ratio of the cross-correlation statistic in the two relevant PTA regimes: the weak-signal limit where instrumental noise dominates over the gravitational-wave signal at all frequencies, and a second regime where the gravitational-wave signal dominates at the lowest frequencies.
Additional Information
© 2015 American Physical Society. Received 30 October 2014; published 27 February 2015. We thank Eanna Flanagan for pointing out a sign error in [31], which has been corrected here. We also thank Chris Pankow and Madeline Wade for many useful comments and suggestions. We extend our gratitude to the members of the NANO Grav Data Analysis Working Group. The work of S. J. C., X. S., and J. A. E. was partially funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through CAREER Grant No. 0955929, Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) Grant No. 0968126, Grant No. 0970074, and the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium. J. A. E. acknowledges support by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through Einstein Fellowship Grant No. PF4-150120. J. D. R. would like to acknowledge support from NSF Gants No. HRD-0734800, No. HRD-1242090, and No. PHY-1205585.Attached Files
Published - PhysRevD.91.044048.pdf
Submitted - 1410.8256v1.pdf
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 56588
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20150413-092844036
- 0955929
- NSF
- 0968126
- Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE)
- 0970074
- Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE)
- Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium
- PF4-150120
- NASA Einstein Fellowship
- HRD-0734800
- NSF
- HRD-1242090
- NSF
- PHY-1205585
- NSF
- Created
-
2015-04-13Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-10Created from EPrint's last_modified field