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1. The Green Bank 820 MHz Pulsar Survey. I. Survey Overview and Initial Results

Author: A. E. McEwen, R. S. Lynch, D. L. Kaplan, C. Bolda, R. Sengar, E. Fonseca, T. Agoudemos, J. Boyles, S. Chatterjee, T. Cohen, F. Crawford, M. E. DeCesar, A. Ehlke, T. Fernandez, E. C. Ferrara, W. Fiore, N. Gilhaus, M. Gleiter, J. W. T. Hessels, T. Holman, A. Joy, V. Kaspi, V. Kondratiev, H. D. Leon, L. Levin, B. Lorenz, D. R. Lorimer, D. R. Madison, M. A. McLaughlin, B. W. Meyers, E. Parent, L. Patron, S. M. Ransom, P. S. Ray, M. S. Roberts, S. Roch, X. Siemens, G. Stearns, J. K. Swiggum, I. H. Stairs, K. Stovall, C. M. Tan, N. Valentine, and J. van Leeuwen
Subjects: Radio pulsars, Radio astronomy, Surveys, Astrophysics, QB460-466
Abstract: The Green Bank 820 MHz pulsar survey covers ≃173 deg ^2 in the Cygnus X region of the Galaxy, centered on l = 84.°5 and b = 1.°5. Significant star formation is present in this region, and lines of sight pass through three arms of the Galaxy (Orion–Cygnus, Perseus, and an outer arm). Using the Green Bank Telescope, we recorded 200 MHz of bandwidth for 4.5 minutes at 81.92 μ s resolution for each of 3457 observed survey pointings during 2016 and 2017, covering about two-thirds of the total area. We searched these data for pulsars and report the discovery of six new pulsars—PSRs J2016+3820, J2016+4231, J2019+3810, J2035+3538, J2035+3655, and J2041+4551—and the codiscovery of PSR J2057+4701. PSR J2035+3655 is in a short (4.5 hr) binary orbit; we report the full binary solution and weakly constrain the mass of the pulsar via a marginal (2 σ ) detection of the Shapiro delay. We also searched the survey data for known pulsars to estimate the survey’s sensitivity and measured 820 MHz pulse widths and flux density for 20 detected sources. For sources that were also detected in the Green Bank North Celestial Cap survey at 350 MHz, we measure scattering parameters and compare to expectations for the region. With these results, we revisit the population estimates that motivated this survey and consider the impact of the survey’s yield on their underlying models. We note an apparent underestimate in dispersion measure predictions from typical Galactic electron density models in the survey region, and discuss future observation strategies.
Published: 2024
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2. Comparing Recent Pulsar Timing Array Results on the Nanohertz Stochastic Gravitational-wave Background

Author: G. Agazie, J. Antoniadis, A. Anumarlapudi, A. M. Archibald, P. Arumugam, S. Arumugam, Z. Arzoumanian, J. Askew, S. Babak, M. Bagchi, M. Bailes, A.-S. Bak Nielsen, P. T. Baker, C. G. Bassa, A. Bathula, B. Bécsy, A. Berthereau, N. D. R. Bhat, L. Blecha, M. Bonetti, E. Bortolas, A. Brazier, P. R. Brook, M. Burgay, S. Burke-Spolaor, R. Burnette, R. N. Caballero, A. Cameron, R. Case, A. Chalumeau, D. J. Champion, S. Chanlaridis, M. Charisi, S. Chatterjee, K. Chatziioannou, B. D. Cheeseboro, S. Chen, Z.-C. Chen, I. Cognard, T. Cohen, W. A. Coles, J. M. Cordes, N. J. Cornish, F. Crawford, H. T. Cromartie, K. Crowter, M. Curyło, C. J. Cutler, S. Dai, S. Dandapat, D. Deb, M. E. DeCesar, D. DeGan, P. B. Demorest, H. Deng, S. Desai, G. Desvignes, L. Dey, N. Dhanda-Batra, V. Di Marco, T. Dolch, B. Drachler, C. Dwivedi, J. A. Ellis, M. Falxa, Y. Feng, R. D. Ferdman, E. C. Ferrara, W. Fiore, E. Fonseca, A. Franchini, G. E. Freedman, J. R. Gair, N. Garver-Daniels, P. A. Gentile, K. A. Gersbach, J. Glaser, D. C. Good, B. Goncharov, A. Gopakumar, E. Graikou, J.-M. Griessmeier, L. Guillemot, K. Gültekin, Y. J. Guo, Y. Gupta, K. Grunthal, J. S. Hazboun, S. Hisano, G. B. Hobbs, S. Hourihane, H. Hu, F. Iraci, K. Islo, D. Izquierdo-Villalba, J. Jang, J. Jawor, G. H. Janssen, R. J. Jennings, A. Jessner, A. D. Johnson, M. L. Jones, B. C. Joshi, A. R. Kaiser, D. L. Kaplan, A. Kapur, F. Kareem, R. Karuppusamy, E. F. Keane, M. J. Keith, L. Z. Kelley, M. Kerr, J. S. Key, D. Kharbanda, T. Kikunaga, T. C. Klein, N. Kolhe, M. Kramer, M. A. Krishnakumar, A. Kulkarni, N. Laal, K. Lackeos, M. T. Lam, W. G. Lamb, B. B. Larsen, T. J. W. Lazio, K. J. Lee, Y. Levin, N. Lewandowska, T. B. Littenberg, K. Liu, T. Liu, Y. Liu, A. Lommen, D. R. Lorimer, M. E. Lower, J. Luo, R. Luo, R. S. Lynch, A. G. Lyne, C.-P. Ma, Y. Maan, D. R. Madison, R. A. Main, R. N. Manchester, R. Mandow, M. A. Mattson, A. McEwen, J. W. McKee, M. A. McLaughlin, N. McMann, B. W. Meyers, P. M. Meyers, M. B. Mickaliger, M. Miles, C. M. F. Mingarelli, A. Mitridate, P. Natarajan, R. S. Nathan, C. Ng, D. J. Nice, I. C. Niţu, K. Nobleson, S. K. Ocker, K. D. Olum, S. Osłowski, A. K. Paladi, A. Parthasarathy, T. T. Pennucci, B. B. P. Perera, D. Perrodin, A. Petiteau, P. Petrov, N. S. Pol, N. K. Porayko, A. Possenti, T. Prabu, H. Quelquejay Leclere, H. A. Radovan, P. Rana, S. M. Ransom, P. S. Ray, D. J. Reardon, A. F. Rogers, J. D. Romano, C. J. Russell, A. Samajdar, S. A. Sanidas, S. C. Sardesai, A. Schmiedekamp, C. Schmiedekamp, K. Schmitz, L. Schult, A. Sesana, G. Shaifullah, R. M. Shannon, B. J. Shapiro-Albert, X. Siemens, J. Simon, J. Singha, M. S. Siwek, L. Speri, R. Spiewak, A. Srivastava, I. H. Stairs, B. W. Stappers, D. R. Stinebring, K. Stovall, J. P. Sun, M. Surnis, S. C. Susarla, A. Susobhanan, J. K. Swiggum, K. Takahashi, P. Tarafdar, J. Taylor, S. R. Taylor, G. Theureau, E. Thrane, N. Thyagarajan, C. Tiburzi, L. Toomey, J. E. Turner, C. Unal, M. Vallisneri, E. van der Wateren, R. van Haasteren, A. Vecchio, V. Venkatraman Krishnan, J. P. W. Verbiest, S. J. Vigeland, H. M. Wahl, S. Wang, Q. Wang, C. A. Witt, J. Wang, L. Wang, K. E. Wayt, Z. Wu, O. Young, L. Zhang, S. Zhang, X.-J. Zhu, A. Zic, and The International Pulsar Timing Array Collaboration
Subjects: Gravitational waves, Pulsars, Astrophysics, QB460-466
Abstract: The Australian, Chinese, European, Indian, and North American pulsar timing array (PTA) collaborations recently reported, at varying levels, evidence for the presence of a nanohertz gravitational-wave background (GWB). Given that each PTA made different choices in modeling their data, we perform a comparison of the GWB and individual pulsar noise parameters across the results reported from the PTAs that constitute the International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA). We show that despite making different modeling choices, there is no significant difference in the GWB parameters that are measured by the different PTAs, agreeing within 1 σ . The pulsar noise parameters are also consistent between different PTAs for the majority of the pulsars included in these analyses. We bridge the differences in modeling choices by adopting a standardized noise model for all pulsars and PTAs, finding that under this model there is a reduction in the tension in the pulsar noise parameters. As part of this reanalysis, we “extended” each PTA’s data set by adding extra pulsars that were not timed by that PTA. Under these extensions, we find better constraints on the GWB amplitude and a higher signal-to-noise ratio for the Hellings–Downs correlations. These extensions serve as a prelude to the benefits offered by a full combination of data across all pulsars in the IPTA, i.e., the IPTA’s Data Release 3, which will involve not just adding in additional pulsars but also including data from all three PTAs where any given pulsar is timed by more than a single PTA.
Published: 2024
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3. The Green Bank North Celestial Cap Survey. IX. Timing Follow-up for 128 Pulsars

Author: A. E. McEwen, J. K. Swiggum, D. L. Kaplan, C. M. Tan, B. W. Meyers, E. Fonseca, G. Y. Agazie, P. Chawla, K. Crowter, M. E. DeCesar, T. Dolch, F. A. Dong, W. Fiore, D. C. Good, A. G. Istrate, V. M. Kaspi, V. I. Kondratiev, J. van Leeuwen, L. Levin, E. F. Lewis, R. S. Lynch, K. W. Masui, J. W. McKee, M. A. McLaughlin, H. Al Noori, E. Parent, S. M. Ransom, X. Siemens, R. Spiewak, and I. H. Stairs
Subjects: Radio pulsars, Binary pulsars, Astrophysics, QB460-466
Abstract: The Green Bank North Celestial Cap survey is one of the largest and most sensitive searches for pulsars and transient radio objects. Observations for the survey have finished; priorities have shifted toward long-term monitoring of its discoveries. In this study, we have developed a pipeline to handle large data sets of archival observations and connect them to recent, high-cadence observations taken using the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment telescope. This pipeline handles data for 128 pulsars and has produced measurements of spin, positional, and orbital parameters that connect data over observation gaps as large as 2000 days. We have also measured glitches in the timing residuals for five of the pulsars included and proper motion for 19 sources (13 new). We include updates to orbital parameters for 19 pulsars, including nine previously unpublished binaries. For two of these binaries, we provide updated measurements of post-Keplerian binary parameters, which result in much more precise estimates of the total masses of both systems. For PSR J0509+3801, the much improved measurement of the Einstein delay yields much improved mass measurements for the pulsar and its companion, 1.399(6) M _⊙ and 1.412(6) M _⊙ , respectively. For this system, we have also obtained a measurement of the orbital decay due to the emission of gravitational waves, ${\dot{P}}_{{\rm{B}}}=-1.37(7)\times {10}^{-12}$ , which is in agreement with the rate predicted by general relativity for these masses.
Published: 2024
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4. The Green Bank North Celestial Cap Survey. VIII. 21 New Pulsar Timing Solutions

Author: W. Fiore, L. Levin, M. A. McLaughlin, A. Anumarlapudi, D. L. Kaplan, J. K. Swiggum, G. Y. Agazie, R. Bavisotto, P. Chawla, M. E. DeCesar, T. Dolch, E. Fonseca, V. M. Kaspi, Z. Komassa, V. I. Kondratiev, J. van Leeuwen, E. F. Lewis, R. S. Lynch, A. E. McEwen, R. Mundorf, H. Al Noori, E. Parent, Z. Pleunis, S. M. Ransom, X. Siemens, R. Spiewak, I. H. Stairs, M. Surnis, and T. J. Tobin
Subjects: Pulsars, Pulsar timing method, Millisecond pulsars, Binary pulsars, Astrophysics, QB460-466
Abstract: We present timing solutions for 21 pulsars discovered in 350 MHz surveys using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). All were discovered in the Green Bank North Celestial Cap pulsar survey, with the exception of PSR J0957−0619, which was found in the GBT 350 MHz Drift-scan pulsar survey. The majority of our timing observations were made with the GBT at 820 MHz. With a spin period of 37 ms and a 528 days orbit, PSR J0032+6946 joins a small group of five other mildly recycled wide binary pulsars, for which the duration of recycling through accretion is limited by the length of the companion’s giant phase. PSRs J0141+6303 and J1327+3423 are new disrupted recycled pulsars. We incorporate Arecibo observations from the NANOGrav pulsar timing array into our analysis of the latter. We also observed PSR J1327+3423 with the Long Wavelength Array, and our data suggest a frequency-dependent dispersion measure. PSR J0957−0619 was discovered as a rotating radio transient, but is a nulling pulsar at 820 MHz. PSR J1239+3239 is a new millisecond pulsar (MSP) in a 4 days orbit with a low-mass companion. Four of our pulsars already have published timing solutions, which we update in this work: the recycled wide binary PSR J0214+5222, the noneclipsing black widow PSR J0636+5128, the disrupted recycled pulsar J1434+7257, and the eclipsing binary MSP J1816+4510, which is in an 8.7 hr orbit with a redback-mass companion.
Published: 2023
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5. The Green Bank North Celestial Cap Survey. VII. 12 New Pulsar Timing Solutions

Author: J. K. Swiggum, Z. Pleunis, E. Parent, D. L. Kaplan, M. A. McLaughlin, I. H. Stairs, R. Spiewak, G. Y. Agazie, P. Chawla, M. E. DeCesar, T. Dolch, W. Fiore, E. Fonseca, A. G. Istrate, V. M. Kaspi, V. I. Kondratiev, J. van Leeuwen, L. Levin, E. F. Lewis, R. S. Lynch, A. E. McEwen, H. Al Noori, S. M. Ransom, X. Siemens, and M. Surnis
Subjects: Binary pulsars, Millisecond pulsars, Gamma-ray sources, Pulsar timing method, Astrophysics, QB460-466
Abstract: We present timing solutions for 12 pulsars discovered in the Green Bank North Celestial Cap 350 MHz pulsar survey, including six millisecond pulsars (MSPs), a double neutron star (DNS) system, and a pulsar orbiting a massive white dwarf companion. Timing solutions presented here include 350 and 820 MHz Green Bank Telescope data from initial confirmation and follow-up, as well as a dedicated timing campaign spanning 1 ryr PSR J1122−3546 is an isolated MSP, PSRs J1221−0633 and J1317−0157 are MSPs in black widow systems and regularly exhibit eclipses, and PSRs J2022+2534 and J2039−3616 are MSPs that can be timed with high precision and have been included in pulsar timing array experiments seeking to detect low-frequency gravitational waves. PSRs J1221−0633 and J2039−3616 have Fermi Large Area Telescope gamma-ray counterparts and also exhibit significant gamma-ray pulsations. We measure proper motions for three of the MSPs in this sample and estimate their space velocities, which are typical compared to those of other MSPs. We have detected the advance of periastron for PSR J1018−1523 and therefore measure the total mass of the DNS system, m _tot = 2.3 ± 0.3 M _⊙ . Long-term pulsar timing with data spanning more than 1 yr is critical for classifying recycled pulsars, carrying out detailed astrometry studies, and shedding light on the wealth of information in these systems post-discovery.
Published: 2023
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6. The NANOGrav 12.5 yr Data Set: Polarimetry and Faraday Rotation Measures from Observations of Millisecond Pulsars with the Green Bank Telescope

Author: H. M. Wahl, M. A. McLaughlin, P. A. Gentile, M. L. Jones, R. Spiewak, Z. Arzoumanian, K. Crowter, P. B. Demorest, M. E. DeCesar, T. Dolch, J. A. Ellis, R. D. Ferdman, E. C. Ferrara, E. Fonseca, N. Garver-Daniels, G. Jones, M. T. Lam, L. Levin, N. Lewandowska, D. R. Lorimer, R. S. Lynch, D. R. Madison, C. Ng, D. J. Nice, T. T. Pennucci, S. M. Ransom, P. Ray, I. H. Stairs, K. Stovall, J. K. Swiggum, and W. W. Zhu
Subjects: Pulsars, Interstellar medium, Astronomical techniques, Astrophysics, QB460-466
Abstract: In this work, we present polarization profiles for 23 millisecond pulsars observed at 820 and 1500 MHz with the Green Bank Telescope as part of the NANOGrav pulsar timing array. We calibrate the data using Mueller matrix solutions calculated from observations of PSRs B1929+10 and J1022+1001. We discuss the polarization profiles, which can be used to constrain pulsar emission geometry, and present both the first published radio polarization profiles for nine pulsars and the discovery of very low-intensity average profile components (“microcomponents”) in four pulsars. We obtain the Faraday rotation measures for each pulsar and use them to calculate the Galactic magnetic field parallel to the line of sight for different lines of sight through the interstellar medium. We fit for linear and sinusoidal trends in time in the dispersion measure and Galactic magnetic field and detect magnetic field variations with a period of 1 yr in some pulsars, but overall find that the variations in these parameters are more consistent with a stochastic origin.
Published: 2022
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7. Modeling the Uncertainties of Solar System Ephemerides for Robust Gravitational-wave Searches with Pular-timing Arrays

Author: M Vallisneri, S R Taylor, J Simon, W M Folkner, R S Park, C Cutler, J A Ellis, T J W Lazio, S J Vigeland, K Aggarwal, Z Arzoumanian, P T Baker, A Brazier, P R Brook, S Burke-Spolaor, S Chatterjee, J M Cordes, N J Cornish, F Crawford, H T Cromartie, K Crowter, M DeCesar, P B Demorest, T Dolch, R D Ferdman, E C Ferrara, E Fonseca, N Garver-Daniels, P Gentile, D Good, J S Hazboun, A M Holgado, E A Huerta, K Islo, R Jennings, G Jones, M L Jones, D L Kaplan, L Z Kelley, J S Key, M T Lam, L Levin, D R Lorimer, J Luo, R S Lynch, D R Madison, M A McLaughlin, S T McWilliams, C M F Mingarelli, C Ng, D J Nice, T T Pennucci, N S Pol, S M Ransom, P S Ray, X Siemens, R Spiewak, I H Stairs, D R Stinebring, K Stovall, J K Swiggum, R van Haasteren, C A Witt, and W W Zhu
Subjects: Astrophysics
Abstract: The regularity of pulsar emissions becomes apparent once we reference the pulses’ times of arrivals to the inertial rest frame of the solar system. It follows that errors in the determination of Earthʼs position with respect to the solar system barycenter can appear as a time-correlated bias in pulsar-timing residual time series, affecting the searches for low-frequency gravitational waves performed with pulsar-timing arrays. Indeed, recent array data sets yield different gravitational-wave background upper limits and detection statistics when analyzed with different solar system ephemerides. Crucially, the ephemerides do not generally provide usable error representations. In this article, we describe the motivation, construction, and application of a physical model of solar system ephemeris uncertainties, which focuses on the degrees of freedom (Jupiterʼs orbital elements) most relevant to gravitational-wave searches with pulsar-timing arrays. This model, BAYESEPHEM, was used to derive ephemeris-robust results in NANOGravʼs 11 yr stochastic-background search, and it provides a foundation for future searches by NANOGrav and other consortia. The analysis and simulations reported here suggest that ephemeris modeling reduces the gravitational-wave sensitivity of the 11 yr data set and that this degeneracy will vanish with improved ephemerides and with pulsar-timing data sets that extend well beyond a single Jovian orbital period.
Published: 2020
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8. The NANOGrav 11 yr Data Set: Contraints on Planetary Masses Around 45 Millisecond Pulsars

Author: E A Behrens, S M Ransom, D R Madison, Z Arzoumanian, K Crowter, M E DeCesar, P B Demorest, T Dolch, J A Ellis, R D Ferdman, E C Ferrara, E Fonseca, P A Gentile, G Jones, M L Jones, M T Lam, L Levin, D R Lorimer, R S Lynch, M A McLaughlin, C Ng, D J Nice, T T Pennucci, B B P Perera, P S Ray, R Spiewak, I H Stairs, K Stovall, J K Swiggum, and W W Zhu
Subjects: Astronomy
Abstract: We search for extrasolar planets around millisecond pulsars using pulsar timing data and seek to determine the minimum detectable planetary masses as a function of orbital period. Using the 11 yr data set from the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav), we look for variations from our models of pulse arrival times due to the presence of exoplanets. No planets are detected around the millisecond pulsars in the NANOGrav 11 yr data set, but taking into consideration the noise levels of each pulsar and the sampling rate of our observations, we develop limits that show we are sensitive to planetary masses as low as that of the moon. We analyzed potential planet periods, P, in the range 7 days < P < 2000 days, with somewhat smaller ranges for some binary pulsars. The planetary-mass limit for our median-sensitivity pulsar within this period range is 1 Mmoon (P 100 days)-2/3.
Published: 2020
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9. The NANOGrav 11 yr data set: Evolution of Gravitational-wave Background Statistics

Author: J S Hazboun, J Simon, S R Taylor, M T Lam, S J Vigeland, K Islo, J S Key, Z Arzoumanian, P T Baker, A Brazier, P R Brook, S Burke-Spolaor, S Chatterjee, J M Cordes, N J Cornish, F Crawford, K Crowter, H T Cromartie, M DeCesar, P B Demorest, T Dolch, J A Ellis, R D Ferdman, E Ferrara, E Fonseca, N Garver-Daniels, P Gentile, D Good, A M Holgado, E A Huerta, R Jennings, G Jones, M L Jones, A R Kaiser, D L Kaplan, L Z Kelley, T J W Lazio, L Levin, A N Lommen, D R Lorimer, J Luo, R S Lynch, D R Madison, M A McLaughlin, S T McWilliams, C M F Mingarelli, C Ng, D J Nice, T T Pennucci, N S Pol, S M Ransom, P S Ray, X Siemens, R Spiewak, I H Stairs, D R Stinebring, K Stovall, J K Swiggum, J E Turner, M Vallisneri, R van Haasteren, C A Witt, and W W Zhu
Subjects: Astronomy
Abstract: An ensemble of inspiraling supermassive black hole binaries should produce a stochastic background of very low frequency gravitational waves. This stochastic background is predicted to be a power law, with a gravitational-wave strain spectral index of −2/3, and it should be detectable by a network of precisely timed millisecond pulsars, widely distributed on the sky. This paper reports a new “time slicing” analysis of the 11 yr data release from the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) using 34 millisecond pulsars. Methods to flag potential “false-positive” signatures are developed, including techniques to identify responsible pulsars. Mitigation strategies are then presented. We demonstrate how an incorrect noise model can lead to spurious signals, and we show how independently modeling noise across 30 Fourier components, spanning NANOGrav’s frequency range, effectively diagnoses and absorbs the excess power in gravitational-wave searches. This results in a nominal, and expected, progression of our gravitational-wave statistics. Additionally, we show that the first interstellar medium event in PSR J1713+0747 pollutes the common red-noise process with low spectral index noise, and we use a tailored noise model to remove these effects.
Published: 2020
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10. The NANOGrav 11 yr data set: Limits on Gravitational Wave Memory

Author: K Aggarwal, Zaven Arzoumanian, P T Baker, A Brazier, P R Brook, S Burke-Spolaor, S Chatterjee, J M Cordes, N J Cornish, F Crawford, H T Cromartie, K Crowter, M DeCesar, P B Demorest, T Dolch, J A Ellis, R D Ferdman, E C Ferrara, E Fonseca, N Garver-Daniels, P Gentile, M L Jones, D L Kaplan, L Z Kelley, J S Key, M T Lam, T J W Lazio, L Levin, D R Lorimer, J Luo, R S Lynch, D R Madison, M A McLaughlin, S T McWilliams, C M F Mingarelli, C Ng, D J Nice, T T Pennucci, N S Pol, S M Ransom, P S Ray, X Siemens, J Simon, R Spiewak, I H Stairs, D R Stinebring, K Stovall, J K Swiggum, S R Taylor, M Vallisneri, R van Haasteren, S J Vigeland, C A Witt, and W W Zhu
Subjects: Astronomy
Abstract: The mergers of supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) promise to be incredible sources of gravitational waves (GWs).While the oscillatory part of the merger gravitational waveform will be outside the frequency sensitivity range of pulsar timing arrays, the nonoscillatory GW memory effect is detectable. Further, any burst of GWs will produce GW memory, making memory a useful probe of unmodeled exotic sources and new physics. We searched the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) 11 yr data set for GW memory. This data set is sensitive to very low-frequency GWs of ∼3 to 400 nHz (periods of ∼11 yr–1 month). Finding no evidence for GWs, we placed limits on the strain amplitude of GW memory events during the observation period. We then used the strain upper limits to place limits on the rate of GW memory causing events. At a strain of 2.5 × 10−14, corresponding to the median upper limit as a function of source sky position, we set a limit on the rate of GW memory events at <0.4 yr−1. That strain corresponds to an SMBHB merger with reduced mass of ηM ~2 × 1010Mmoonand inclination of ι = π/3 at a distance of 1 Gpc. As a test of our analysis, we analyzed the NANOGrav 9 yr data set as well. This analysis found an anomolous signal, which does not appear in the 11 yr data set. This signal is not a GW, and its origin remains unknown.
Published: 2020
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11. Studying the Solar system with the International Pulsar Timing Array

Author: R N Caballero, Y J Guo, K J Lee, P Lazarus, D J Champion, G Desvignes, M Kramer, K Plant, Z Arzoumanian, M Bailes, C G Bassa, N D R Bhat, A Brazier, M Burgay, S Burke-Spolaor, S J Chamberlin, S Chatterjee, I Cognard, J M Cordes, S Dai, P Demorest, T Dolch, R D Ferdman, E Fonseca, J R Gair, N Garver-Daniels, P Gentile, M E Gonzalez, E Graikou, L Guillemot, G Hobbs, G H Janssen, R Karuppusamy, M J Keith, M Kerr, M T Lam, P D Lasky, T J W Lazio, L Levin, K Liu, A N Lommen, D R Lorimer, R S Lynch, D R Madison, R N Manchester, J W McKee, M A McLaughlin, S T McWilliams, C M F Mingarelli, D J Nice, S Osłowski, N T Palliyaguru, T T Pennucci, B B P Perera, D Perrodin, A Possenti, S M Ransom, D J Reardon, S A Sanidas, A Sesana, G Shaifullah, R M Shannon, X Siemens, J Simon, R Spiewak, I Stairs, B Stappers, D R Stinebring, K Stovall, J K Swiggum, S R Taylor, G Theureau, C Tiburzi, L Toomey, R van Haasteren, W van Straten, J P W Verbiest, J B Wang, X J Zhu, and W W Zhu
Published: 2018
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12. Searching for continuous Gravitational Waves in the second data release of the International Pulsar Timing Array

Author: Falxa, M, Babak, S, T Baker, P, Bécsy, B, Chalumeau, A, Chen, S, Chen, Z, J Cornish, N, Guillemot, L, S Hazboun, J, F Mingarelli, C, Parthasarathy, A, Petiteau, A, S Pol, N, Sesana, A, B Spolaor, S, R Taylor, S, Theureau, G, Vallisneri, M, J Vigeland, S, A Witt, C, Zhu, X, Antoniadis, J, Arzoumanian, Z, Bailes, M, R Bhat, N, Blecha, L, Brazier, A, R Brook, P, Caballero, N, D Cameron, A, A Casey-Clyde, J, Champion, D, Charisi, M, Chatterjee, S, Cognard, I, M Cordes, J, Crawford, F, T Cromartie, H, Crowter, K, Dai, S, E DeCesar, M, B Demorest, P, Desvignes, G, Dolch, T, Drachler, B, Feng, Y, C Ferrara, E, Fiore, W, Fonseca, E, Garver-Daniels, N, Glaser, J, Goncharov, B, C Good, D, Griessmeier, J, J Guo, Y, Gültekin, K, Hobbs, G, Hu, H, Islo, K, Jang, J, J Jennings, R, D Johnson, A, L Jones, M, Kaczmarek, J, R Kaiser, A, L Kaplan, D, Keith, M, Z Kelley, L, Kerr, M, S Key, J, Laal, N, T Lam, M, G Lamb, W, W Lazio, T, Liu, K, Liu, T, Luo, J, S Lynch, R, R Madison, D, Main, R, Manchester, R, Mcewen, A, Mckee, J, A McLaughlin, M, Ng, C, J Nice, D, Ocker, S, D Olum, K, Osłowski, S, T Pennucci, T, P Perera, B, Perrodin, D, Porayko, N, Possenti, A, Quelquejay-Leclere, H, M Ransom, S, S Ray, P, J Reardon, D, J Russell, C, Samajdar, A, Sarkissian, J, Schult, L, Shaifullah, G, M Shannon, R, J Shapiro-Albert, B, Siemens, X, J Simon, J, Siwek, M, L Smith, T, Speri, L, Spiewak, R, H Stairs, I, Stappers, B, R Stinebring, D, K Swiggum, J, Tiburzi, C, Turner, J, Vecchio, A, W Verbiest, J, Wahl, H, Q Wang, S, Wang, J, Wu, Z, Zhang, L, Zhang, S, Collaboration, I, M Falxa, S Babak, P T Baker, B Bécsy, A Chalumeau, S Chen, Z Chen, N J Cornish, L Guillemot, J S Hazboun, C M F Mingarelli, A Parthasarathy, A Petiteau, N S Pol, A Sesana, S B Spolaor, S R Taylor, G Theureau, M Vallisneri, S J Vigeland, C A Witt, X Zhu, J Antoniadis, Z Arzoumanian, M Bailes, N D R Bhat, L Blecha, A Brazier, P R Brook, N Caballero, A D Cameron, J A Casey-Clyde, D Champion, M Charisi, S Chatterjee, I Cognard, J M Cordes, F Crawford, H T Cromartie, K Crowter, S Dai, M E DeCesar, P B Demorest, G Desvignes, T Dolch, B Drachler, Y Feng, E C Ferrara, W Fiore, E Fonseca, N Garver-Daniels, J Glaser, B Goncharov, D C Good, J Griessmeier, Y J Guo, K Gültekin, G Hobbs, H Hu, K Islo, J Jang, R J Jennings, A D Johnson, M L Jones, J Kaczmarek, A R Kaiser, D L Kaplan, M Keith, L Z Kelley, M Kerr, J S Key, N Laal, M T Lam, W G Lamb, T J W Lazio, K Liu, T Liu, J Luo, R S Lynch, D R Madison, R Main, R Manchester, A McEwen, J McKee, M A McLaughlin, C Ng, D J Nice, S Ocker, K D Olum, S Osłowski, T T Pennucci, B B P Perera, D Perrodin, N Porayko, A Possenti, H Quelquejay-Leclere, S M Ransom, P S Ray, D J Reardon, C J Russell, A Samajdar, J Sarkissian, L Schult, G Shaifullah, R M Shannon, B J Shapiro-Albert, X Siemens, J J Simon, M Siwek, T L Smith, L Speri, R Spiewak, I H Stairs, B Stappers, D R Stinebring, J K Swiggum, C Tiburzi, J Turner, A Vecchio, J P W Verbiest, H Wahl, S Q Wang, J Wang, Z Wu, L Zhang, S Zhang, IPTA Collaboration, Falxa, M, Babak, S, T Baker, P, Bécsy, B, Chalumeau, A, Chen, S, Chen, Z, J Cornish, N, Guillemot, L, S Hazboun, J, F Mingarelli, C, Parthasarathy, A, Petiteau, A, S Pol, N, Sesana, A, B Spolaor, S, R Taylor, S, Theureau, G, Vallisneri, M, J Vigeland, S, A Witt, C, Zhu, X, Antoniadis, J, Arzoumanian, Z, Bailes, M, R Bhat, N, Blecha, L, Brazier, A, R Brook, P, Caballero, N, D Cameron, A, A Casey-Clyde, J, Champion, D, Charisi, M, Chatterjee, S, Cognard, I, M Cordes, J, Crawford, F, T Cromartie, H, Crowter, K, Dai, S, E DeCesar, M, B Demorest, P, Desvignes, G, Dolch, T, Drachler, B, Feng, Y, C Ferrara, E, Fiore, W, Fonseca, E, Garver-Daniels, N, Glaser, J, Goncharov, B, C Good, D, Griessmeier, J, J Guo, Y, Gültekin, K, Hobbs, G, Hu, H, Islo, K, Jang, J, J Jennings, R, D Johnson, A, L Jones, M, Kaczmarek, J, R Kaiser, A, L Kaplan, D, Keith, M, Z Kelley, L, Kerr, M, S Key, J, Laal, N, T Lam, M, G Lamb, W, W Lazio, T, Liu, K, Liu, T, Luo, J, S Lynch, R, R Madison, D, Main, R, Manchester, R, Mcewen, A, Mckee, J, A McLaughlin, M, Ng, C, J Nice, D, Ocker, S, D Olum, K, Osłowski, S, T Pennucci, T, P Perera, B, Perrodin, D, Porayko, N, Possenti, A, Quelquejay-Leclere, H, M Ransom, S, S Ray, P, J Reardon, D, J Russell, C, Samajdar, A, Sarkissian, J, Schult, L, Shaifullah, G, M Shannon, R, J Shapiro-Albert, B, Siemens, X, J Simon, J, Siwek, M, L Smith, T, Speri, L, Spiewak, R, H Stairs, I, Stappers, B, R Stinebring, D, K Swiggum, J, Tiburzi, C, Turner, J, Vecchio, A, W Verbiest, J, Wahl, H, Q Wang, S, Wang, J, Wu, Z, Zhang, L, Zhang, S, Collaboration, I, M Falxa, S Babak, P T Baker, B Bécsy, A Chalumeau, S Chen, Z Chen, N J Cornish, L Guillemot, J S Hazboun, C M F Mingarelli, A Parthasarathy, A Petiteau, N S Pol, A Sesana, S B Spolaor, S R Taylor, G Theureau, M Vallisneri, S J Vigeland, C A Witt, X Zhu, J Antoniadis, Z Arzoumanian, M Bailes, N D R Bhat, L Blecha, A Brazier, P R Brook, N Caballero, A D Cameron, J A Casey-Clyde, D Champion, M Charisi, S Chatterjee, I Cognard, J M Cordes, F Crawford, H T Cromartie, K Crowter, S Dai, M E DeCesar, P B Demorest, G Desvignes, T Dolch, B Drachler, Y Feng, E C Ferrara, W Fiore, E Fonseca, N Garver-Daniels, J Glaser, B Goncharov, D C Good, J Griessmeier, Y J Guo, K Gültekin, G Hobbs, H Hu, K Islo, J Jang, R J Jennings, A D Johnson, M L Jones, J Kaczmarek, A R Kaiser, D L Kaplan, M Keith, L Z Kelley, M Kerr, J S Key, N Laal, M T Lam, W G Lamb, T J W Lazio, K Liu, T Liu, J Luo, R S Lynch, D R Madison, R Main, R Manchester, A McEwen, J McKee, M A McLaughlin, C Ng, D J Nice, S Ocker, K D Olum, S Osłowski, T T Pennucci, B B P Perera, D Perrodin, N Porayko, A Possenti, H Quelquejay-Leclere, S M Ransom, P S Ray, D J Reardon, C J Russell, A Samajdar, J Sarkissian, L Schult, G Shaifullah, R M Shannon, B J Shapiro-Albert, X Siemens, J J Simon, M Siwek, T L Smith, L Speri, R Spiewak, I H Stairs, B Stappers, D R Stinebring, J K Swiggum, C Tiburzi, J Turner, A Vecchio, J P W Verbiest, H Wahl, S Q Wang, J Wang, Z Wu, L Zhang, S Zhang, and IPTA Collaboration
Abstract: The International Pulsar Timing Array 2nd data release is the combination of data sets from worldwide collaborations. In this study, we search for continuous waves: gravitational wave signals produced by individual supermassive black hole binaries in the local universe. We consider binaries on circular orbits and neglect the evolution of orbital frequency over the observational span. We find no evidence for such signals and set sky averaged 95 per cent upper limits on their amplitude h95. The most sensitive frequency is 10 nHz with h95 = 9.1 × 10-15. We achieved the best upper limit to date at low and high frequencies of the PTA band thanks to improved effective cadence of observations. In our analysis, we have taken into account the recently discovered common red noise process, which has an impact at low frequencies. We also find that the peculiar noise features present in some pulsars data must be taken into account to reduce the false alarm. We show that using custom noise models is essential in searching for continuous gravitational wave signals and setting the upper limit.
Published: 2023

13. A Pulsar-Based Time-Scale from the International Pulsar Timing Array

Author: G. Hobbs, L. Guo, R. N. Caballero, W. Coles, K. J. Lee, R. N. Manchester, D. J. Reardon, D. Matsakis, M. L. Tong, Z Arzoumanian, M Bailes, C. G. Bassa, N. D. R. Bhat, A. Brazier, S. Burke-Spolaor, D. J. Champion, S. Chatterjee, I. Cognard, S. Dai, G. Desvignes, T Dolch, R. D. Ferdman, E. Graikou, L Guillemot, G H Janssen, M. J. Keith, M Kerr, M Kramer, M T Lam, K Liu, A Lyne, T J W Lazio, R Lynch, J W McKee, M A McLaughlin, C M F Mingarelli, D J Nice, S Oslowski, T T Pennucci, B B P Perera, D Perrodin, A Possenti, C J Russell, S Sanidas, A Sesana, G Shaifullah, R M Shannon, J Simon, R Spiewak, I H Stairs, B W Stappers, J K Swiggum, S R Taylor, G Theureau, L Toomey, R van Haasteren, J B Wang, Y Wang, and X J Zhu
Subjects: Astronomy
Abstract: We have constructed a new time-scale, TT(IPTA16), based on observations of radio pulsars presented in the first data release from the International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA). We used two analysis techniques with independent estimates of the noise models for the pulsar observations and different algorithms for obtaining the pulsar time-scale. The two analyses agree within the estimated uncertainties and both agree with TT(BIPM17), a post-corrected time-scale produced by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM). We show that both methods could detect significant errors in TT(BIPM17) if they were present. We estimate the stability of the atomic clocks from which TT(BIPM17) is derived using observations of four rubidium fountain clocks at the US Naval Observatory. Comparing the power spectrum of TT(IPTA16) with that of these fountain clocks suggests that pulsar-based time-scales are unlikely to contribute to the stability of the best time-scales over the next decade, but they will remain a valuable independent check on atomic time-scales. We also find that the stability of the pulsar-based time-scale is likely to be limited by our knowledge of solar-system dynamics, and that errors in TT(BIPM17) will not be a limiting factor for the primary goal of the IPTA, which is to search for the signatures of nano-Hertz gravitational waves.
Published: 2019
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14. The International Pulsar Timing Array: Second Data Release

Author: B B P Perara, M E DeCesar, P B Demorest, M Kerr, L Lentati, D J Nice, S Oslowski, S M Ransom, M J Keith, Z Arzoumanian, M Bailes, P T Baker, C G Bassa, NDR Bhat, A Brazier, M Burgay, S Burke-Spolaor, R N Caballero, D J Champion, S Chatterjee, S Chen, I Cognard, J M Cordes, K Crowter, S Dai, G Desvignes, T Dolch, R D Ferdman, E C Ferrara, E Fonseca, J M Goldstein, E Graikou, L Guillemot, J S Hazboun, G Hobbs, H Hu, K Islo, G H Janssen, R Karuppusam, M Kramer, M T Lam, K J Lee, K Liu, J Luo, A G Lyne, R N Manchester, J W McKee, M A McLaughlin, C M F Mingarelli, A P Parthasarathy, T T Pennucci, D Perrodin, A Possenti, D J Reardon, C J Russell, S A Sanidas, A Sesana, G Shaifullah, R M Shannon, X Siemens, J Simon, R Spiewak, I H Stairs, B W Stappers, J K Swiggum, S R Taylor, G Theureau, C Tiburzi, M Vallisneri, A Vecchio, J B Wang, S B Zhang, L Zhang, W W Zhu, and X J Zhu
Subjects: Astronomy
Abstract: In this paper, we describe the International Pulsar Timing Array second data release, which includes recent pulsar timing data obtained by three regional consortia: the European Pulsar Timing Array, the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves, and the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array. We analyse and where possible combine high-precision timing data for 65 millisecond pulsars which are regularly observed by these groups. A basic noise analysis, including the processes which are both correlated and uncorrelated in time, provides noise models and timing ephemerides for the pulsars. We find that the timing precisions of pulsars are generally improved compared to the previous data release, mainly due to the addition of new data in the combination. The main purpose of this work is to create the most up-to-date IPTA data release. These data are publicly available for searches for low-frequency gravitational waves and other pulsar science.
Published: 2019
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15. Relativistic Shapiro Delay Measurements of an Extremely Massive Millisecond Pulsar

Author: H T Cromartie, E Fonseca, S M Ransom, P B Demorest, Z Arzoumanian, H Blumer, P R Brook, M E DeCesar, T Dolch, J A Ellis, R D Ferdman, E C Ferrara, N Garver-Daniels, P Gentile, M L Jones, M T Lam, D R Lorimer, R S Lynch, M A McLaughlin, C Ng, D J Nice, T T Pennucci, R Spiewak, I H Stairs, K Stovall, J K Swiggum, and W W Zhu
Subjects: Astronomy
Abstract: Despite its importance to our understanding of physics at supranuclear densities, the equation of state (EoS) of matter deep within neutron stars remains poorly understood. Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are among the most useful astrophysical objects in the Universe for testing fundamental physics, and place some of the most stringent constraints on this high-density EoS. Pulsar timing—the process of accounting for every rotation of a pulsar over long time periods—can precisely measure a wide variety of physical phenomena, including those that allow the measurement of the masses of the components of a pulsar binary system1. One of these, called relativistic Shapiro delay2, can yield precise masses for both an MSP and its companion; however, it is only easily observed in a small subset of high-precision, highly inclined (nearly edge-on) binary pulsar systems. By combining data from the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) 12.5-yr data set with recent orbitalphase- specific observations using the Green Bank Telescope, we have measured the mass of the MSP J0740+6620 to be 2.14+0:10-0:09 M⊙ (68.3% credibility interval; the 95.4% credibility interval is 2.14+0:20-0:18 M⊙). It is highly likely to be the most massive neutron star yet observed, and serves as a strong constraint on the neutron star interior EoS.
Published: 2019
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16. High-precision x-ray timing of three millisecond pulsars with NICER: Stability estimates and comparison with radio

Author: J S Deneva, P. S. Ray, A Lommen, S M Ransom, S Bogdanov, M. Kerr, K. S. Wood, Z Arzoumanian, K. Black, J. Doty, K C Gendreau, S. Guillot, A. Harding, N. Lewandowska, C Malacaria, C B Markwardt, S. Price, L Winternitz, M. T. Wolff, L. Guillemot, I. Cognard, P. T. Baker, H. Blumer, P R Brook, H T Cromartie, P B Demorest, M E DeCesar, T. Dolch, J. A. Ellis, R D Ferdman, E C Ferrara, E Fonseca, N Garver-Daniels, P A Gentile, M. L. Jones, M. T. Lam, D R Lorimer, R. S. Lynch, M. A. McLaughlin, C. Ng, D J Nice, T T Pennucci, R Spiewak, I H Stairs, K Stovall, J K Swiggum, S. J. Vigeland, and W. W. Zhu
Subjects: Astrophysics
Abstract: The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) is an X-ray astrophysics payload on the International Space Station. It enables unprecedented high-precision timing of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) without the pulse broadening and delays due to dispersion and scattering within the interstellar medium that plague radio timing. We present initial timing results from a year of data on the MSPs PSR B1937+21 and PSR J0218+4232, and nine months of data on PSR B1821−24. NICER time-of-arrival uncertainties for the three pulsars are consistent with theoretical lower bounds and simulations based on their pulse shape templates and average source and background photon count rates. To estimate timing stability, we use the σz measure, which is based on the average of the cubic coefficients of polynomial fits to subsets of timing residuals. So far we are achieving timing stabilities σz≈3×10−14 for PSR B1937+21 and on the order of 10−12 for PSRs B1821−24 and J0218+4232. Within the span of our NICER data we do not yet see the characteristic break point in the slope of σz; detection of such a break would indicate that further improvement in the cumulative root-mean-square timing residual is limited by timing noise. We see this break point in our comparison radio data sets for PSR B1821−24 and PSR B1937+21 on timescales of >2 yr.
Published: 2019
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17. PSR J2234+0611: A New Laboratory for Stellar Evolution

Author: K Stovall, P C C Freire, J Antoniadis, M Bagchi, J S Deneva, N Garver-Daniels, J G Martinez, M A McLaughlin, Z Arzoumanian, J H Blumer, P R Brook, H T Cromartie, P B Demorest, M E DeCesar, T Dolch, J A Ellis, R D Ferdman, E C Ferrara, E Fonseca, P A Gentile, M L Jones, M T Lam, D R Lorimer, R S Lynch, C Ng, D J Nice, T T Pennucci, S M Ransom, R Spiewak, I H Stairs, J K Swiggum, S J Vigeland, and W W Zhu
Subjects: Astronomy
Abstract: We report the timing results for PSR J2234+0611, a 3.6 ms pulsar in a 32 day, eccentric (e = 0.13) orbit with a helium white dwarf. The precise timing and eccentric nature of the orbit allow measurements of an unusual number of parameters: (a) a precise proper motion of 27.10(3) mas yr−1 and a parallax of 1.05(4) mas resulting in a pulsar distance of 0.95(4) kpc; enabling an estimate of the transverse velocity, 123(5) km s−1. Together with previously published spectroscopic measurements of the systemic radial velocity, this allows a 3D determination of the system’s velocity; (b) precise measurements of the rate of advance of periastron yields a total system mass of 1.6518 +0.0033-0.0035 Msun; (c) a Shapiro delay measurement, h3 = 82 ± 14 ns, despite the orbital inclination not being near 90°; combined with the measurement of the total mass yields a pulsar mass of 1.353 +0.014-0.017 Msun and a companion mass of 0.298 +0.015-0.0120 Msun; (d) we measure precisely the secular variation of the projected semimajor axis and detect a significant annual orbital parallax; together these allow a determination of the 3D orbital geometry of the system, including an unambiguous orbital inclination (i = 138.7 +2.5-2.2 deg) and a position angle for the line of nodes ( omega = 44 +5-4 deg). We discuss the component masses to investigate the hypotheses previously advanced to explain the origin of eccentric MSPs. The unprecedented determination of the 3D position, motion, and orbital orientation of the system, plus the precise pulsar and WD masses and the latter’s optical detection make this system a unique test of our understanding of white dwarfs and their atmospheres.
Published: 2019
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18. The Green Bank North Celestial Cap Survey. VII. 12 New Pulsar Timing Solutions

Author: J. K. Swiggum, Z. Pleunis, E. Parent, D. L. Kaplan, M. A. McLaughlin, I. H. Stairs, R. Spiewak, G. Y. Agazie, P. Chawla, M. E. DeCesar, T. Dolch, W. Fiore, E. Fonseca, A. G. Istrate, V. M. Kaspi, V. I. Kondratiev, J. van Leeuwen, L. Levin, E. F. Lewis, R. S. Lynch, A. E. McEwen, H. Al Noori, S. M. Ransom, X. Siemens, and M. Surnis
Subjects: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE), Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics, Space and Planetary Science, Astronomy, FOS: Physical sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
Abstract: We present timing solutions for 12 pulsars discovered in the Green Bank North Celestial Cap (GBNCC) 350 MHz pulsar survey, including six millisecond pulsars (MSPs), a double neutron star (DNS) system, and a pulsar orbiting a massive white dwarf companion. Timing solutions presented here include 350 and 820 MHz Green Bank Telescope data from initial confirmation and follow-up as well as a dedicated timing campaign spanning one year. PSR J1122$-$3546 is an isolated MSP, PSRs J1221$-$0633 and J1317$-$0157 are MSPs in black widow systems and regularly exhibit eclipses, and PSRs J2022+2534 and J2039$-$3616 are MSPs that can be timed with high precision and have been included in pulsar timing array experiments seeking to detect low-frequency gravitational waves. PSRs J1221$-$0633 and J2039$-$3616 have Fermi Large Area Telescope $\gamma$-ray counterparts and also exhibit significant $\gamma$-ray pulsations. We measure proper motion for three of the MSPs in this sample and estimate their space velocities, which are typical compared to those of other MSPs. We have detected the advance of periastron for PSR J1018$-$1523 and therefore measure the total mass of the double neutron star system, $m_{\rm tot}=2.3\pm0.3$ M$_{\odot}$. Long-term pulsar timing with data spanning more than one year is critical for classifying recycled pulsars, carrying out detailed astrometry studies, and shedding light on the wealth of information in these systems post-discovery., Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, 7 tables
Published: 2022

19. The International Pulsar Timing Array second data release: Search for an isotropic gravitational wave background

Author: J Antoniadis, Z Arzoumanian, S Babak, M Bailes, A-S Bak Nielsen, P T Baker, C G Bassa, B Bécsy, A Berthereau, M Bonetti, A Brazier, P R Brook, M Burgay, S Burke-Spolaor, R N Caballero, J A Casey-Clyde, A Chalumeau, D J Champion, M Charisi, S Chatterjee, S Chen, I Cognard, J M Cordes, N J Cornish, F Crawford, H T Cromartie, K Crowter, S Dai, M E DeCesar, P B Demorest, G Desvignes, T Dolch, B Drachler, M Falxa, E C Ferrara, W Fiore, E Fonseca, J R Gair, N Garver-Daniels, B Goncharov, D C Good, E Graikou, L Guillemot, Y J Guo, J S Hazboun, G Hobbs, H Hu, K Islo, G H Janssen, R J Jennings, A D Johnson, M L Jones, A R Kaiser, D L Kaplan, R Karuppusamy, M J Keith, L Z Kelley, M Kerr, J S Key, M Kramer, M T Lam, W G Lamb, T J W Lazio, K J Lee, L Lentati, K Liu, J Luo, R S Lynch, A G Lyne, D R Madison, R A Main, R N Manchester, A McEwen, J W McKee, M A McLaughlin, M B Mickaliger, C M F Mingarelli, C Ng, D J Nice, S Osłowski, A Parthasarathy, T T Pennucci, B B P Perera, D Perrodin, A Petiteau, N S Pol, N K Porayko, A Possenti, S M Ransom, P S Ray, D J Reardon, C J Russell, A Samajdar, L M Sampson, S Sanidas, J M Sarkissian, K Schmitz, L Schult, A Sesana, G Shaifullah, R M Shannon, B J Shapiro-Albert, X Siemens, J Simon, T L Smith, L Speri, R Spiewak, I H Stairs, B W Stappers, D R Stinebring, J K Swiggum, S R Taylor, G Theureau, C Tiburzi, M Vallisneri, E van der Wateren, A Vecchio, J P W Verbiest, S J Vigeland, H Wahl, J B Wang, J Wang, L Wang, C A Witt, S Zhang, X J Zhu, Antoniadis, J, Arzoumanian, Z, Babak, S, Bailes, M, Bak Nielsen, A, Baker, P, Bassa, C, Becsy, B, Berthereau, A, Bonetti, M, Brazier, A, Brook, P, Burgay, M, Burke-Spolaor, S, Caballero, R, Casey-Clyde, J, Chalumeau, A, Champion, D, Charisi, M, Chatterjee, S, Chen, S, Cognard, I, Cordes, J, Cornish, N, Crawford, F, Cromartie, H, Crowter, K, Dai, S, Decesar, M, Demorest, P, Desvignes, G, Dolch, T, Drachler, B, Falxa, M, Ferrara, E, Fiore, W, Fonseca, E, Gair, J, Garver-Daniels, N, Goncharov, B, Good, D, Graikou, E, Guillemot, L, Guo, Y, Hazboun, J, Hobbs, G, Hu, H, Islo, K, Janssen, G, Jennings, R, Johnson, A, Jones, M, Kaiser, A, Kaplan, D, Karuppusamy, R, Keith, M, Kelley, L, Kerr, M, Key, J, Kramer, M, Lam, M, Lamb, W, Lazio, T, Lee, K, Lentati, L, Liu, K, Luo, J, Lynch, R, Lyne, A, Madison, D, Main, R, Manchester, R, Mcewen, A, Mckee, J, Mclaughlin, M, Mickaliger, M, Mingarelli, C, Ng, C, Nice, D, Oslowski, S, Parthasarathy, A, Pennucci, T, Perera, B, Perrodin, D, Petiteau, A, Pol, N, Porayko, N, Possenti, A, Ransom, S, Ray, P, Reardon, D, Russell, C, Samajdar, A, Sampson, L, Sanidas, S, Sarkissian, J, Schmitz, K, Schult, L, Sesana, A, Shaifullah, G, Shannon, R, Shapiro-Albert, B, Siemens, X, Simon, J, Smith, T, Speri, L, Spiewak, R, Stairs, I, Stappers, B, Stinebring, D, Swiggum, J, Taylor, S, Theureau, G, Tiburzi, C, Vallisneri, M, Van Der Wateren, E, Vecchio, A, Verbiest, J, Vigeland, S, Wahl, H, Wang, J, Wang, L, Witt, C, Zhang, S, Zhu, X, AstroParticule et Cosmologie (APC (UMR_7164)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité), Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), Unité Scientifique de la Station de Nançay (USN), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique = Laboratory of Space Studies and Instrumentation in Astrophysics (LESIA), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité), Laboratoire Univers et Théories (LUTH (UMR_8102)), ANR-18-CE31-0015,PTA-France,Recherche d'ondes gravitationnelles avec un réseau de pulsars en France(2018), ITA, USA, GBR, FRA, DEU, AUS, CAN, GRC, NLD, CHN, RUS, CHE, and HUN
Subjects: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE), astro-ph.HE, [PHYS]Physics [physics], Astrophysics and Astronomy, Astronomy, FOS: Physical sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics, methods: Data analysi, pulsars: General, methods: data analysis, gravitational waves, Space and Planetary Science, Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM), gravitational wave, astro-ph.IM
Abstract: We searched for an isotropic stochastic gravitational wave background in the second data release of the International Pulsar Timing Array, a global collaboration synthesizing decadal-length pulsar-timing campaigns in North America, Europe, and Australia. In our reference search for a power law strain spectrum of the form $h_c = A(f/1\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1})^{\alpha}$, we found strong evidence for a spectrally-similar low-frequency stochastic process of amplitude $A = 3.8^{+6.3}_{-2.5}\times10^{-15}$ and spectral index $\alpha = -0.5 \pm 0.5$, where the uncertainties represent 95\% credible regions, using information from the auto- and cross-correlation terms between the pulsars in the array. For a spectral index of $\alpha = -2/3$, as expected from a population of inspiralling supermassive black hole binaries, the recovered amplitude is $A = 2.8^{+1.2}_{-0.8}\times10^{-15}$. Nonetheless, no significant evidence of the Hellings-Downs correlations that would indicate a gravitational-wave origin was found. We also analyzed the constituent data from the individual pulsar timing arrays in a consistent way, and clearly demonstrate that the combined international data set is more sensitive. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this combined data set produces comparable constraints to recent single-array data sets which have more data than the constituent parts of the combination. Future international data releases will deliver increased sensitivity to gravitational wave radiation, and significantly increase the detection probability., 17 pages, 12 figures, accepted in MNRAS
Published: 2022
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20. Erratum: 'The NANOGrav 12.5 yr Data Set: Polarimetry and Faraday Rotation Measures from Observations of Millisecond Pulsars with the Green Bank Telescope' (2022, ApJ, 926, 168)

Author: H. M. Wahl, M. A. McLaughlin, P. A. Gentile, M. L. Jones, R. Spiewak, Z. Arzoumanian, K. Crowter, P. B. Demorest, M. E. DeCesar, T. Dolch, J. A. Ellis, R. D. Ferdman, E. C. Ferrara, E. Fonseca, N. Garver-Daniels, G. Jones, M. T. Lam, L. Levin, N. Lewandowska, D. R. Lorimer, R. S. Lynch, D. R. Madison, C. Ng, D. J. Nice, T. T. Pennucci, S. M. Ransom, P. Ray, I. H. Stairs, K. Stovall, J. K. Swiggum, and W. W. Zhu
Subjects: Space and Planetary Science, Astronomy and Astrophysics
Published: 2022
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21. A pulsar-based time-scale from the International Pulsar Timing Array

Author: Sourav Chatterjee, Daniel J. Reardon, Ismaël Cognard, Gemma H. Janssen, Sarah Burke-Spolaor, Zaven Arzoumanian, Michael T. Lam, Kejia Lee, Michael Kramer, Benetge Perera, J. B. Wang, L. Guo, Renée Spiewak, Ryan Shannon, David J. Nice, Richard N. Manchester, N. D. R. Bhat, D. Matsakis, E. Graikou, Joseph Simon, Ingrid H. Stairs, R. N. Caballero, Shi Dai, Matthew Bailes, Christopher J. Russell, Alberto Sesana, Robert D. Ferdman, Lucas Guillemot, Delphine Perrodin, Xing-Jiang Zhu, Andrew Lyne, Chiara M. F. Mingarelli, C. G. Bassa, Benjamin Stappers, A. Brazier, R. van Haasteren, Timothy T. Pennucci, J. W. McKee, Yue-Fei Wang, Maura McLaughlin, Michael Keith, L. Toomey, Matthew Kerr, William A. Coles, Timothy Dolch, Stefan Oslowski, M. L. Tong, Stephen Taylor, D. J. Champion, Kang Liu, S. A. Sanidas, George Hobbs, J. K. Swiggum, Gregory Desvignes, Gilles Theureau, A. Possenti, T. J. W. Lazio, R. S. Lynch, G. Shaifullah, Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), Unité Scientifique de la Station de Nançay (USN), Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire Univers et Théories (LUTH (UMR_8102)), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Hobbs, G, Guo, L, Caballero, R, Coles, W, Lee, K, Manchester, R, Reardon, D, Matsakis, D, Tong, M, Arzoumanian, Z, Bailes, M, Bassa, C, Bhat, N, Brazier, A, Burke-Spolaor, S, Champion, D, Chatterjee, S, Cognard, I, Dai, S, Desvignes, G, Dolch, T, Ferdman, R, Graikou, E, Guillemot, L, Janssen, G, Keith, M, Kerr, M, Kramer, M, Lam, M, Liu, K, Lyne, A, Lazio, T, Lynch, R, Mckee, J, Mclaughlin, M, Mingarelli, C, Nice, D, Osłowski, S, Pennucci, T, Perera, B, Perrodin, D, Possenti, A, Russell, C, Sanidas, S, Sesana, A, Shaifullah, G, Shannon, R, Simon, J, Spiewak, R, Stairs, I, Stappers, B, Swiggum, J, Taylor, S, Theureau, G, Toomey, L, van Haasteren, R, Wang, J, Wang, Y, Zhu, X, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS), ITA, USA, GBR, FRA, DEU, AUS, CAN, NLD, CHN, and HUN
Subjects: Astronomy, Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, FOS: Physical sciences, Astrophysics, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 01 natural sciences, Stability (probability), general [pulsars], Pulsar, Millisecond pulsar, Observatory, pulsars: general, 0103 physical sciences, [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-INS-DET]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Instrumentation and Detectors [physics.ins-det], Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM), 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, time, Physics, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Gravitational wave, Spectral density, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Atomic clock, 13. Climate action, Space and Planetary Science, [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics], Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, Noise (radio), Astronomical and Space Sciences
Abstract: We have constructed a new timescale, TT(IPTA16), based on observations of radio pulsars presented in the first data release from the International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA). We used two analysis techniques with independent estimates of the noise models for the pulsar observations and different algorithms for obtaining the pulsar timescale. The two analyses agree within the estimated uncertainties and both agree with TT(BIPM17), a post-corrected timescale produced by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM). We show that both methods could detect significant errors in TT(BIPM17) if they were present. We estimate the stability of the atomic clocks from which TT(BIPM17) is derived using observations of four rubidium fountain clocks at the US Naval Observatory. Comparing the power spectrum of TT(IPTA16) with that of these fountain clocks suggests that pulsar-based timescales are unlikely to contribute to the stability of the best timescales over the next decade, but they will remain a valuable independent check on atomic timescales. We also find that the stability of the pulsar-based timescale is likely to be limited by our knowledge of solar-system dynamics, and that errors in TT(BIPM17) will not be a limiting factor for the primary goal of the IPTA, which is to search for the signatures of nano-Hertz gravitational waves., Comment: accepted by MNRAS
Published: 2020
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22. The Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey. VI. Discovery and Timing of PSR J1759+5036: A Double Neutron Star Binary Pulsar

Author: G. Y. Agazie, M. G. Mingyar, M. A. McLaughlin, J. K. Swiggum, D. L. Kaplan, H. Blumer, P. Chawla, M. DeCesar, P. B. Demorest, W. Fiore, E. Fonseca, J. D. Gelfand, V. M. Kaspi, V. I. Kondratiev, M. LaRose, J. van Leeuwen, L. Levin, E. F. Lewis, R. S. Lynch, A. E. McEwen, H. Al Noori, E. Parent, S. M. Ransom, M. S. E. Roberts, A. Schmiedekamp, C. Schmiedekamp, X. Siemens, R. Spiewak, I. H. Stairs, and M. Surnis
Subjects: 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Space and Planetary Science, Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, 0103 physical sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, 01 natural sciences
Abstract: The Green Bank North Celestial Cap survey is a 350 MHz all-sky survey for pulsars and fast radio transients using the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. To date, the survey has discovered over 190 pulsars, including 33 millisecond pulsars and 24 rotating radio transients. Several exotic pulsars have been discovered in the survey, including PSR J1759+5036, a binary pulsar with a 176 ms spin period in an orbit with a period of 2.04 days, an eccentricity of 0.3, and a projected semi-major axis of 6.8 light seconds. Using seven years of timing data, we are able to measure one post–Keplerian parameter, advance of periastron, which has allowed us to constrain the total system mass to 2.62 ± 0.03 M ⊙. This constraint, along with the spin period and orbital parameters, suggests that this is a double neutron star system, although we cannot entirely rule out a pulsar-white dwarf binary. This pulsar is only detectable in roughly 45% of observations, most likely due to scintillation. However, additional observations are required to determine whether there may be other contributing effects.
Published: 2021
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23. The International Pulsar Timing Array: Second data release

Author: Sarah Burke-Spolaor, Robert D. Ferdman, Stephen Taylor, Lei Zhang, Janna Goldstein, Caterina Tiburzi, Alberto Sesana, Ingrid H. Stairs, Elizabeth C. Ferrara, N. D. R. Bhat, Benetge Perera, Aditya Parthasarathy, Michael Kramer, H. Hu, Richard N. Manchester, Joseph Simon, L. Lentati, Matthew Kerr, Shi Dai, R. N. Caballero, Megan E. DeCesar, Paul Demorest, A. Possenti, Xing-Jiang Zhu, Kathryn Crowter, Weiwei Zhu, C. G. Bassa, Emmanuel Fonseca, Kejia Lee, Scott M. Ransom, Michael Keith, Stefan Oslowski, Chiara M. F. Mingarelli, D. J. Champion, Ramesh Karuppusamy, David J. Nice, Andrew Lyne, Timothy T. Pennucci, Timothy Dolch, J. K. Swiggum, Benjamin Stappers, K. Islo, Lucas Guillemot, Michele Vallisneri, J. B. Wang, X. Siemens, Gregory Desvignes, Gilles Theureau, James M. Cordes, Ismaël Cognard, Renée Spiewak, Siyuan Chen, Jing Luo, S. A. Sanidas, P. T. Baker, A. Brazier, Songbo Zhang, Alberto Vecchio, George Hobbs, Delphine Perrodin, Michael T. Lam, Jeffrey S. Hazboun, M. Burgay, Daniel J. Reardon, Zaven Arzoumanian, G. Shaifullah, J. W. McKee, Maura McLaughlin, Christopher J. Russell, Sourav Chatterjee, Kang Liu, Matthew Bailes, Gemma H. Janssen, Ryan Shannon, E. Graikou, Unité Scientifique de la Station de Nançay (USN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO), Franche-Comté Électronique Mécanique, Thermique et Optique - Sciences et Technologies (UMR 6174) (FEMTO-ST), Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbeliard (UTBM)-Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et des Microtechniques (ENSMM)-Université de Franche-Comté (UFC), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE] (UBFC)-Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE] (UBFC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique (LESIA (UMR_8109)), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire Univers et Théories (LUTH (UMR_8102)), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7), Perera, B, Decesar, M, Demorest, P, Kerr, M, Lentati, L, Nice, D, Osłowski, S, Ransom, S, Keith, M, Arzoumanian, Z, Bailes, M, Baker, P, Bassa, C, Bhat, N, Brazier, A, Burgay, M, Burke-Spolaor, S, Caballero, R, Champion, D, Chatterjee, S, Chen, S, Cognard, I, Cordes, J, Crowter, K, Dai, S, Desvignes, G, Dolch, T, Ferdman, R, Ferrara, E, Fonseca, E, Goldstein, J, Graikou, E, Guillemot, L, Hazboun, J, Hobbs, G, Hu, H, Islo, K, Janssen, G, Karuppusamy, R, Kramer, M, Lam, M, Lee, K, Liu, K, Luo, J, Lyne, A, Manchester, R, Mckee, J, Mclaughlin, M, Mingarelli, C, Parthasarathy, A, Pennucci, T, Perrodin, D, Possenti, A, Reardon, D, Russell, C, Sanidas, S, Sesana, A, Shaifullah, G, Shannon, R, Siemens, X, Simon, J, Spiewak, R, Stairs, I, Stappers, B, Swiggum, J, Taylor, S, Theureau, G, Tiburzi, C, Vallisneri, M, Vecchio, A, Wang, J, Zhang, S, Zhang, L, Zhu, W, Zhu, X, Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Franche-Comté (UFC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et des Microtechniques (ENSMM)-Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbeliard (UTBM), PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS), and PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Subjects: Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, FOS: Physical sciences, Ephemeris, 01 natural sciences, Pulsar timing array, stars: neutron, neutron [stars], Pulsar, Millisecond pulsar, Observatory, pulsars: general, 0103 physical sciences, 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, Physics, High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE), [SDU.ASTR]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph], 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Gravitational wave, Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, Astronomy, Astronomy and Astrophysics, methods: data analysis, European Pulsar Timing Array, gravitational waves, Space and Planetary Science, [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics], pulsars, Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, [PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph], Noise (radio), Methods: data analysi
Abstract: In this paper, we describe the International Pulsar Timing Array second data release, which includes recent pulsar timing data obtained by three regional consortia: the European Pulsar Timing Array, the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves, and the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array. We analyse and where possible combine high-precision timing data for 65 millisecond pulsars which are regularly observed by these groups. A basic noise analysis, including the processes which are both correlated and uncorrelated in time, provides noise models and timing ephemerides for the pulsars. We find that the timing precisions of pulsars are generally improved compared to the previous data release, mainly due to the addition of new data in the combination. The main purpose of this work is to create the most up-to-date IPTA data release. These data are publicly available for searches for low-frequency gravitational waves and other pulsar science., Comment: Submitted to MNRAS and in review, 23 pages, 5 figures
Published: 2019
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24. Tests of gravitational symmetries with pulsar binary J1713+0747

Author: Michael Kramer, Kang Liu, Robert D. Ferdman, Lina Levin, P. Lazarus, Marjorie Gonzalez, Michael T. Lam, Gemma H. Janssen, Kejia Lee, Timothy Dolch, Norbert Wex, Scott M. Ransom, Kathryn Crowter, A. Jessner, Ramesh Karuppusamy, J. K. Swiggum, Andrew Lyne, K. Lazaridis, M. L. Jones, Gregory Desvignes, J. W. McKee, Gilles Theureau, Ismaël Cognard, R. Smits, Maura McLaughlin, A. Krieger, Weiwei Zhu, M. Burgay, D. J. Champion, Timothy T. Pennucci, Delphine Perrodin, Caterina Tiburzi, L. Lentati, Kevin Stovall, Joris P. W. Verbiest, A. Possenti, Christine Jordan, Glenn Jones, G. Shaifullah, E. Graikou, J. A. Ellis, David J. Nice, R. N. Caballero, Ingrid H. Stairs, Stefan Oslowski, Jason W. T. Hessels, C. G. Bassa, Emmanuel Fonseca, Benjamin Stappers, S. A. Sanidas, Zaven Arzoumanian, Lucas Guillemot, Paul Demorest, High Energy Astrophys. & Astropart. Phys (API, FNWI), Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), Unité Scientifique de la Station de Nançay (USN), Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire Univers et Théories (LUTH (UMR_8102)), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7), Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace ( LPC2E ), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ) -Université d'Orléans ( UO ) -Institut national des sciences de l'Univers ( INSU - CNRS ), Unité Scientifique de la Station de Nançay ( USN ), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers ( INSU - CNRS ) -Observatoire de Paris-Université d'Orléans ( UO ) -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ), Laboratoire Univers et Théories ( LUTH ), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers ( INSU - CNRS ) -Observatoire de Paris-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 ( UPD7 ) -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ), Zhu, W, Desvignes, G, Wex, N, Caballero, R, Champion, D, Demorest, P, Ellis, J, Janssen, G, Kramer, M, Krieger, A, Lentati, L, Nice, D, Ransom, S, Stairs, I, Stappers, B, Verbiest, J, Arzoumanian, Z, Bassa, C, Burgay, M, Cognard, I, Crowter, K, Dolch, T, Ferdman, R, Fonseca, E, Gonzalez, M, Graikou, E, Guillemot, L, Hessels, J, Jessner, A, Jones, G, Jones, M, Jordan, C, Karuppusamy, R, Lam, M, Lazaridis, K, Lazarus, P, Lee, K, Levin, L, Liu, K, Lyne, A, Mckee, J, Mclaughlin, M, Osłowski, S, Pennucci, T, Perrodin, D, Possenti, A, Sanidas, S, Shaifullah, G, Smits, R, Stovall, K, Swiggum, J, Theureau, G, Tiburzi, C, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Observatoire de Paris, and PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)
Subjects: General relativity, [ PHYS.ASTR ] Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph], Astronomy, FOS: Physical sciences, Astrophysics, Lorentz covariance, 01 natural sciences, Binary pulsar, Gravitation, stars: neutron, General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, Pulsar, Gravitational field, 0103 physical sciences, pulsars: individual (PSR J1713+0747), 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, Physics, High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE), [SDU.ASTR]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph], 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Gravitational constant, European Pulsar Timing Array, binaries: general, Space and Planetary Science, [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics], gravitation, Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, [PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]
Abstract: Symmetries play an important role in modern theories of gravity. The strong equivalence principle (SEP) constitutes a collection of gravitational symmetries which are all implemented by general relativity. Alternative theories, however, are generally expected to violate some aspects of SEP. We test three aspects of SEP using observed change rates in the orbital period and eccentricity of binary pulsar J1713+0747: 1. the gravitational constant's constancy as part of locational invariance of gravitation; 2. the post-Newtonian parameter $\hat{\alpha}_3$ in gravitational Lorentz invariance; 3. the universality of free fall (UFF) for strongly self-gravitating bodies. Based on the pulsar timing result of the combined dataset from the North American Nanohertz Gravitational Observatory (NANOGrav) and the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA), we find $\dot{G}/G = (-0.1 \pm 0.9) \times 10^{-12}\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$, which is weaker than Solar system limits, but applies for strongly self-gravitating objects. Furthermore, we obtain the constraints $|\Delta|< 0.002$ for the UFF test and $-3\times10^{-20} < \hat{\alpha}_3 < 4\times10^{-20}$ at 95% confidence. These are the first direct UFF and $\hat{\alpha}_3$ tests based on pulsar binaries, and they overcome various limitations of previous tests., Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, and 1 table; submitted to MNRAS
Published: 2019
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25. From spin noise to systematics: stochastic processes in the first International Pulsar Timing Array data release

Author: R. van Haasteren, Scott M. Ransom, S. Babak, Antoine Petiteau, Paul Demorest, L. Toomey, Gemma H. Janssen, Alberto Sesana, Marjorie Gonzalez, Sourav Chatterjee, A. Lassus, Ryan Shannon, Justin A. Ellis, Glenn Jones, E. Graikou, J. W. McKee, Kang Liu, Kejia Lee, Matthew Kerr, Sarah Burke-Spolaor, William A. Coles, Maura McLaughlin, G. Shaifullah, Stephen Taylor, Weiwei Zhu, P. Lazarus, S. A. Sanidas, D. J. Champion, Delphine Perrodin, R. N. Caballero, Kevin Stovall, Joris P. W. Verbiest, Benetge Perera, Richard N. Manchester, C. G. Bassa, Emmanuel Fonseca, Jonathan R. Gair, George Hobbs, D. R. Madison, R. Smits, Alberto Vecchio, Daniel R. Stinebring, Michael T. Lam, Daniel J. Reardon, X. P. You, Zaven Arzoumanian, Paul D. Lasky, Yue-Fei Wang, Lucas Guillemot, R. S. Lynch, Pablo Rosado, Lina Levin, Xing-Jiang Zhu, Chiara M. F. Mingarelli, L. Lentati, Benjamin Stappers, A. Possenti, T. J. W. Lazio, Robert D. Ferdman, Stefan Oslowski, J. K. Swiggum, X. Siemens, Gregory Desvignes, Gilles Theureau, Ramesh Karuppusamy, Ismaël Cognard, M. Burgay, Timothy T. Pennucci, Michele Vallisneri, J. B. Wang, James M. Cordes, Sean T. McWilliams, David J. Nice, P. Brem, W. van Straten, Caterina Tiburzi, N. D. R. Bhat, Shi Dai, Jason W. T. Hessels, Ingrid H. Stairs, Timothy Dolch, Michael Kramer, Michael Keith, Lentati, L, Shannon, R, Coles, W, Verbiest, J, van Haasteren, R, Ellis, J, Caballero, R, Manchester, R, Arzoumanian, Z, Babak, S, Bassa, C, Bhat, N, Brem, P, Burgay, M, Burke-Spolaor, S, Champion, D, Chatterjee, S, Cognard, I, Cordes, J, Dai, S, Demorest, P, Desvignes, G, Dolch, T, Ferdman, R, Fonseca, E, Gair, J, Gonzalez, M, Graikou, E, Guillemot, L, Hessels, J, Hobbs, G, Janssen, G, Jones, G, Karuppusamy, R, Keith, M, Kerr, M, Kramer, M, Lam, M, Lasky, P, Lassus, A, Lazarus, P, Lazio, T, Lee, K, Levin, L, Liu, K, Lynch, R, Madison, D, Mckee, J, Mclaughlin, M, Mcwilliams, S, Mingarelli, C, Nice, D, Osłowski, S, Pennucci, T, Perera, B, Perrodin, D, Petiteau, A, Possenti, A, Ransom, S, Reardon, D, Rosado, P, Sanidas, S, Sesana, A, Shaifullah, G, Siemens, X, Smits, R, Stairs, I, Stappers, B, Stinebring, D, Stovall, K, Swiggum, J, Taylor, S, Theureau, G, Tiburzi, C, Toomey, L, Vallisneri, M, van Straten, W, Vecchio, A, Wang, J, Wang, Y, You, X, Zhu, W, Zhu, X, High Energy Astrophys. & Astropart. Phys (API, FNWI), Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge [UK] (CAM), CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation [Canberra] (CSIRO), University of California, University of California (UC), Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIFR), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA-California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik ( Albert-Einstein-Institut ) (AEI), Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), Curtin University [Perth], Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC), INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari (OAC), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), Center for Radiophysics and Space Research [Ithaca] (CRSR), Cornell University [New York], Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), Department of Astronomy [Ithaca], Department of Physics, Hillsdale College, Unité Scientifique de la Station de Nançay (USN), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver Coastal Health, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy ( ASTRON ), ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoralCoE), James Cook University (JCU), Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester [Manchester], Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre (VUMC), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam [Amsterdam] (VU), Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics [Beijing] (KIAA-PKU), Peking University [Beijing], National Radio Astronomy Observatory [Green Bank] (NRAO), Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics (JBCA), Department of Physics, West Virginia University, West Virginia University, Theoretical Astrophysics [Pasadena] (TAPIR), California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Physics Department, Lafayette College, Lafayette College [Easton], Department of Astronomy [Charlottesville], University of Virginia, APC - Gravitation (APC-Gravitation), AstroParticule et Cosmologie (APC (UMR_7164)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik ( Albert-Einstein-Institut ) (AEI), Max-Planck-Gesellschaft-Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de l'environnement (LGGE), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG ), Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes [2016-2019] (UGA [2016-2019])-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes [2016-2019] (UGA [2016-2019]), Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing [Swinburne] (CAS), Swinburne University of Technology [Melbourne], Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam [Amsterdam] (UvA), University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Department of Physics and Astronomy [Oberlin], Oberlin College, Institute of Meteoritics [Albuquerque] (IOM), The University of New Mexico [Albuquerque], Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, West Virginia University [Morgantown], Birmingham City University (BCU), Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences [Beijing] (CAS), Huazhong University of Science and Technology [Wuhan] (HUST), School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest University [Chongqing], Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP140102578NASA through Einstein Fellowship grant PF3-140116West Light Foundation of CAS XBBS201322 and NSFC project no.11403086National Science Fundation of China (NSFC) award number 11503007NNSF of China (U1231120) and FRFCU (XDJK2015B012), European Project: 337062,EC:FP7:ERC,ERC-2013-StG,DRAGNET(2014), European Project: 227947,EC:FP7:ERC,ERC-2008-AdG,LEAP(2009), European Project: 610058,EC:FP7:ERC,ERC-2013-SyG,BLACKHOLECAM(2014), Cornell University, Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy [Pasadena], California Institute of Technology (CALTECH)-California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik ( Albert-Einstein-Institut ) (AEI), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG), Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik ( Albert-Einstein-Institut ) (AEI), California Institute of Technology (CALTECH)-NASA, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO), University of Virginia [Charlottesville], Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Observatoire de Paris, and Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik ( Albert-Einstein-Institut ) (AEI)
Subjects: Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, data analysis, pulsars: general [methods], FOS: Physical sciences, General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc), Methods: Data analysi, Astrophysics, Astronomy & Astrophysics, general [pulsars], 01 natural sciences, General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, pulsars:individual, Binary pulsar, Pulsar, 0103 physical sciences, data analysis [methods], Coherence (signal processing), Sensitivity (control systems), Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM), 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR), High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE), Physics, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Stochastic process, Noise (signal processing), Model selection, Pulsars: General, Astronomy and Astrophysics, methods: data analysis, LIGO, Computational physics, Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics, [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics], 13. Climate action, Space and Planetary Science, Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, Astronomical and Space Sciences
Abstract: We analyse the stochastic properties of the 49 pulsars that comprise the first International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA) data release. We use Bayesian methodology, performing model selection to determine the optimal description of the stochastic signals present in each pulsar. In addition to spin-noise and dispersion-measure (DM) variations, these models can include timing noise unique to a single observing system, or frequency band. We show the improved radio-frequency coverage and presence of overlapping data from different observing systems in the IPTA data set enables us to separate both system and band-dependent effects with much greater efficacy than in the individual PTA data sets. For example, we show that PSR J1643$-$1224 has, in addition to DM variations, significant band-dependent noise that is coherent between PTAs which we interpret as coming from time-variable scattering or refraction in the ionised interstellar medium. Failing to model these different contributions appropriately can dramatically alter the astrophysical interpretation of the stochastic signals observed in the residuals. In some cases, the spectral exponent of the spin noise signal can vary from 1.6 to 4 depending upon the model, which has direct implications for the long-term sensitivity of the pulsar to a stochastic gravitational-wave (GW) background. By using a more appropriate model, however, we can greatly improve a pulsar's sensitivity to GWs. For example, including system and band-dependent signals in the PSR J0437$-$4715 data set improves the upper limit on a fiducial GW background by $\sim 60\%$ compared to a model that includes DM variations and spin-noise only., Comment: 29 pages. 16 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
Published: 2016
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26. The International Pulsar Timing Array: First data release

Author: Lucas Guillemot, Sourav Chatterjee, N. Garver-Daniels, D. R. Madison, Scott M. Ransom, J. K. Swiggum, Daniel R. Stinebring, Delphine Perrodin, Ingrid H. Stairs, Alberto Vecchio, Timothy Dolch, X. Siemens, Gregory Desvignes, Antoine Petiteau, Gilles Theureau, W. van Straten, J. B. Wang, X. P. You, Jason W. T. Hessels, Renée Spiewak, R. N. Caballero, Alberto Sesana, Stefan Oslowski, R. S. Lynch, Xing-Jiang Zhu, C. G. Bassa, Emmanuel Fonseca, Daniel J. Reardon, Yue-Fei Wang, Chiara M. F. Mingarelli, Benjamin Stappers, Kejia Lee, Stanislav Babak, Benetge Perera, Pablo Rosado, Zaven Arzoumanian, Richard N. Manchester, Paul Demorest, A. Brazier, Jonathan R. Gair, R. van Haasteren, Nipuni Palliyaguru, Lina Levin, R. Smits, Joseph Simon, P. Brem, Michele Vallisneri, Michael Kramer, James M. Cordes, Andrew Lyne, L. Lentati, Weiwei Zhu, Matthew Kerr, Peter A. Gentile, Michael Keith, A. Possenti, D. J. Champion, Caterina Tiburzi, T. J. W. Lazio, N. D. R. Bhat, A. Lassus, Stephen Taylor, Linqing Wen, Ryan Shannon, Glenn Jones, Shi Dai, E. Graikou, Gemma H. Janssen, S. J. Chamberlin, Kevin Stovall, Kang Liu, P. Lazarus, Ramesh Karuppusamy, S. A. Sanidas, Ismaël Cognard, George Hobbs, Robert D. Ferdman, Timothy T. Pennucci, M. Burgay, Sean T. McWilliams, David J. Nice, B. Christy, G. Shaifullah, L. Toomey, Justin A. Ellis, J. W. McKee, Maura McLaughlin, Paul D. Lasky, Michael T. Lam, Sarah Burke-Spolaor, Joris P. W. Verbiest, Marjorie Gonzalez, High Energy Astrophys. & Astropart. Phys (API, FNWI), Verbiest, J, Lentati, L, Hobbs, G, van Haasteren, R, Demorest, P, Janssen, G, Wang, J, Desvignes, G, Caballero, R, Keith, M, Champion, D, Arzoumanian, Z, Babak, S, Bassa, C, Bhat, N, Brazier, A, Brem, P, Burgay, M, Burke-Spolaor, S, Chamberlin, S, Chatterjee, S, Christy, B, Cognard, I, Cordes, J, Dai, S, Dolch, T, Ellis, J, Ferdman, R, Fonseca, E, Gair, J, Garver-Daniels, N, Gentile, P, Gonzalez, M, Graikou, E, Guillemot, L, Hessels, J, Jones, G, Karuppusamy, R, Kerr, M, Kramer, M, Lam, M, Lasky, P, Lassus, A, Lazarus, P, Lazio, T, Lee, K, Levin, L, Liu, K, Lynch, R, Lyne, A, Mckee, J, Mclaughlin, M, Mcwilliams, S, Madison, D, Manchester, R, Mingarelli, C, Nice, D, Osłowski, S, Palliyaguru, N, Pennucci, T, Perera, B, Perrodin, D, Possenti, A, Petiteau, A, Ransom, S, Reardon, D, Rosado, P, Sanidas, S, Sesana, A, Shaifullah, G, Shannon, R, Siemens, X, Simon, J, Smits, R, Spiewak, R, Stairs, I, Stappers, B, Stinebring, D, Stovall, K, Swiggum, J, Taylor, S, Theureau, G, Tiburzi, C, Toomey, L, Vallisneri, M, van Straten, W, Vecchio, A, Wang, Y, Wen, L, You, X, Zhu, W, Zhu, X, Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIFR), Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge [UK] (CAM), CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation [Canberra] (CSIRO), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA-California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), National Radio Astronomy Observatory [Socorro] (NRAO), National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences [Beijing] (CAS), Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester [Manchester], NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik ( Albert-Einstein-Institut ) (AEI), Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Curtin University [Perth], Planning and Transport Research Centre (PATREC), Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science (CCAPS), Cornell University [New York], INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari (OAC), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), Penn State System, Center for Radiophysics and Space Research [Ithaca] (CRSR), University of Maryland [College Park], University of Maryland System, Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), Unité Scientifique de la Station de Nançay (USN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO), Department of Astronomy [Ithaca], Department of Physics, Hillsdale College, University of British Columbia (UBC), University of Edinburgh, Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, West Virginia University [Morgantown], Vancouver Coastal Health, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Physics, Columbia University, Columbia University [New York], Monash Centre for Astrophysics (MoCA), Monash University [Clayton], Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics [Beijing] (KIAA-PKU), Peking University [Beijing], National Radio Astronomy Observatory [Green Bank] (NRAO), Theoretical Astrophysics [Pasadena] (TAPIR), Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy [Pasadena], California Institute of Technology (CALTECH)-California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Physics Department, Lafayette College, Lafayette College [Easton], Physics Department, Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University [Lubbock] (TTU), Department of Astronomy [Charlottesville], University of Virginia [Charlottesville], APC - Gravitation (APC-Gravitation), AstroParticule et Cosmologie (APC (UMR_7164)), Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik ( Albert-Einstein-Institut ) (AEI), Max-Planck-Gesellschaft-Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing [Swinburne] (CAS), Swinburne University of Technology [Melbourne], Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam [Amsterdam] (UvA), University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy ( ASTRON ), Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Department of Physics and Astronomy [Oberlin], Oberlin College, Department of Physics and Astronomy [Albuquerque], The University of New Mexico [Albuquerque], Birmingham City University (BCU), School of Physics [HUST], Huazhong University of Science and Technology [Wuhan] (HUST), School of Physics (University of Western Australia), Université, School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest University [Chongqing], European Project: 337062,EC:FP7:ERC,ERC-2013-StG,DRAGNET(2014), Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Cavendish Laboratory - University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge [UK] ( CAM ), CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, PO BOX 76, NSW 1710, Australia, Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ), NASA-California Institute of Technology ( CALTECH ), National Radio Astronomy Observatory [Socorro] ( NRAO ), National Radio Astronomy Observatory ( NRAO ), Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Chinese Academy of Sciences [Beijing] ( CAS ), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center ( GSFC ), Albert Einstein Institute, Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science ( CCAPS ), Cornell University, MPI for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute), INAF-Osservatorio di Cagliari, PennState University [Pennsylvania] ( PSU ), Center for Radiophysics and Space Research [Ithaca] ( CRSR ), Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace ( LPC2E ), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers ( INSU - CNRS ) -Université d'Orléans ( UO ) -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ), Unité Scientifique de la Station de Nançay ( USN ), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers ( INSU - CNRS ) -Observatoire de Paris-Université d'Orléans ( UO ) -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ), University of British Columbia ( UBC ), University of Edimburgh, Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, National Radio Astronomy Observatory [Green Bank] ( NRAO ), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation [Canberra] ( CSIRO ), TAPIR (Theoretical Astrophysics), California Institute of Technology, Texas Tech University [Lubbock] ( TTU ), Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Ist Nazl Astrofis, Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, APC - Gravitation ( APC-Gravitation ), AstroParticule et Cosmologie ( APC - UMR 7164 ), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ) -Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS ( IN2P3 ) -Observatoire de Paris-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 ( UPD7 ) -Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives ( CEA ) -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ) -Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS ( IN2P3 ) -Observatoire de Paris-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 ( UPD7 ) -Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives ( CEA ) -Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut), Max-Planck-Institut-Max-Planck-Institut, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing [Swinburne] ( CAS ), Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Max Planck Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Albert Einstein Institut, Physics and Astronomy Department [Oberlin], Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, Birmingham City University ( BCU ), School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, School of Physics ( University of Western Australia ), European Project : 337062,EC:FP7:ERC,ERC-2013-StG,DRAGNET ( 2014 ), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), University of Virginia, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik ( Albert-Einstein-Institut ) (AEI), PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National d’Études Spatiales [Paris] (CNES), Université d'Orléans (UO)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Observatoire de Paris, and PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik ( Albert-Einstein-Institut ) (AEI)
Subjects: data analysis, data analysis, pulsars: general [methods], FOS: Physical sciences, Methods: Data analysi, general [pulsars], 01 natural sciences, 7. Clean energy, Set (abstract data type), Pulsar timing array, Pulsar, 0103 physical sciences, data analysis [methods], Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM), 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, instrumentation, Physics, [SDU.ASTR.SR]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Solar and Stellar Astrophysics [astro-ph.SR], 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Gravitational wave, Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, Pulsars: General, Astronomy, Astronomy and Astrophysics, methods: data analysis, Data set, European Pulsar Timing Array, Neutron star, gravitational waves, Space and Planetary Science, pulsars, Measurement uncertainty, Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, [ SDU.ASTR.SR ] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Solar and Stellar Astrophysics [astro-ph.SR], Algorithm, astro-ph.IM
Abstract: The highly stable spin of neutron stars can be exploited for a variety of (astro-)physical investigations. In particular arrays of pulsars with rotational periods of the order of milliseconds can be used to detect correlated signals such as those caused by gravitational waves. Three such "Pulsar Timing Arrays" (PTAs) have been set up around the world over the past decades and collectively form the "International" PTA (IPTA). In this paper, we describe the first joint analysis of the data from the three regional PTAs, i.e. of the first IPTA data set. We describe the available PTA data, the approach presently followed for its combination and suggest improvements for future PTA research. Particular attention is paid to subtle details (such as underestimation of measurement uncertainty and long-period noise) that have often been ignored but which become important in this unprecedentedly large and inhomogeneous data set. We identify and describe in detail several factors that complicate IPTA research and provide recommendations for future pulsar timing efforts. The first IPTA data release presented here (and available online) is used to demonstrate the IPTA's potential of improving upon gravitational-wave limits placed by individual PTAs by a factor of ~2 and provides a 2-sigma limit on the dimensionless amplitude of a stochastic GWB of 1.7x10^{-15} at a frequency of 1 yr^{-1}. This is 1.7 times less constraining than the limit placed by (Shannon et al. 2015), due mostly to the more recent, high-quality data they used., 25 pages, 6 tables, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
Published: 2016
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27. The NANOGrav 11-year Data Set: Solar Wind Sounding Through Pulsar Timing

Author: Timothy Dolch, Duncan R. Lorimer, Ryan S. Lynch, Cherry Ng, Elizabeth C. Ferrara, Kathryn Crowter, Paul S. Ray, David J. Nice, Chiara M. F. Mingarelli, Timothy T. Pennucci, Paul Demorest, J. A. Ellis, M. L. Jones, Renée Spiewak, Ingrid H. Stairs, James M. Cordes, Shami Chatterjee, J. K. Swiggum, Zaven Arzoumanian, Kevin Stovall, Peter A. Gentile, Glenn Jones, Robert D. Ferdman, D. R. Madison, Weiwei Zhu, Michael T. Lam, Megan E. DeCesar, Emmanuel Fonseca, Maura McLaughlin, Scott M. Ransom, and Lina Levin
Subjects: Physics, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, Total electron content, Gravitational wave, Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, FOS: Physical sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Astrophysics, 01 natural sciences, Interstellar medium, Depth sounding, Solar wind, Pulsar, Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics, 13. Climate action, Space and Planetary Science, Observatory, Millisecond pulsar, 0103 physical sciences, Physics::Space Physics, Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics, 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR), 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract: The North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) has observed dozens of millisecond pulsars for over a decade. We have accrued a large collection of dispersion measure (DM) measurements sensitive to the total electron content between Earth and the pulsars at each observation. All lines of sight cross through the solar wind which produces correlated DM fluctuations in all pulsars. We develop and apply techniques for extracting the imprint of the solar wind from the full collection of DM measurements in the recently released NANOGrav 11-yr data set. We filter out long time scale DM fluctuations attributable to structure in the interstellar medium and carry out a simultaneous analysis of all pulsars in our sample that can differentiate the correlated signature of the wind from signals unique to individual lines of sight. When treating the solar wind as spherically symmetric and constant in time, we find the electron number density at 1 A.U. to be $7.9\pm0.2$ cm$^{-3}$. Our data shows little evidence of long-term variation in the density of the wind. We argue that our techniques paired with a high cadence, low radio frequency observing campaign of near-ecliptic pulsars would be capable of mapping out large-scale latitudinal structure in the wind., 15 pages, submitted to ApJ
Published: 2018

28. PSR J2234+0611: A new laboratory for stellar evolution

Author: Renée Spiewak, Sarah J. Vigeland, Scott M. Ransom, Kevin Stovall, Timothy Dolch, Paul Demorest, Paulo C. C. Freire, M. L. Jones, P. A. Gentile, Manjari Bagchi, Julia Deneva, David J. Nice, Ryan S. Lynch, Weiwei Zhu, Timothy T. Pennucci, J. G. Martinez, Nathan Garver-Daniels, H. T. Cromartie, Megan E. DeCesar, J. K. Swiggum, Emmanuel Fonseca, Duncan R. Lorimer, Paul R. Brook, Elizabeth C. Ferrara, J. A. Ellis, Cherry Ng, Zaven Arzoumanian, Harsha Blumer, Ingrid H. Stairs, John Antoniadis, Robert D. Ferdman, Michael T. Lam, and Maura McLaughlin
Subjects: Physics, High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE), Solar mass, Proper motion, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, White dwarf, FOS: Physical sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Astrophysics, 01 natural sciences, Orbital inclination, Radial velocity, Orbit, Pulsar, 13. Climate action, Space and Planetary Science, 0103 physical sciences, Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics, Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics, Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, Stellar evolution, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract: We report timing results for PSR J2234+0611, a 3.6-ms pulsar in a 32-day, eccentric (e = 0.13) orbit with a helium white dwarf companion discovered as part of the Arecibo Observatory 327 MHz drift scan survey. The precise timing and the eccentric nature of the orbit allow precise measurements of an unusual number of parameters: a) a precise proper motion of 27.10(3) mas/yr and a parallax of 1.05(4) mas resulting in a pulsar distance of 0.95(4) kpc; this allows a precise estimate of the transverse velocity, 123(5) km/s. Together with previously published spectroscopic measurements of the systemic radial velocity, this allows a full 3-D determination of the system's velocity; b) precise measurements of the rate of advance of periastron, which after subtraction of the contribution of the proper motion yields a total system mass of $1.6518^{+0.0033}_{-0.0035}$ solar masses; c) a Shapiro delay measurement, h_3 = $82 \pm 14$ ns despite the orbital inclination not being near 90 deg; combined with the measurement of the total mass, this yields a pulsar mass of $1.353^{+0.014}_{-0.017}$ solar masses and a companion mass of $0.298^{+0.015}_{-0.012}$ solar masses; d) we measure precisely the secular variation of the projected semi-major axis and detect significant annual orbital parallax; together these allow a determination of the full 3-D orbital geometry, including an unambiguous orbital inclination (i = $138.7^{+2.5}_{-2.2}$ deg) and a position angle for the line of nodes (Omega = $44^{+5}_{-4}$ deg). We discuss the component masses to investigate hypotheses previously advanced to explain the origin of eccentric MSPs. The unprecedented determination of the full 3-D position, motion and orbital orientation of the system, plus the precisely measured pulsar and WD mass and the latter's optical detection make this system an unique test of our understanding of white dwarfs and their atmospheres., Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, accepted by ApJ
Published: 2018
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29. Fast Radio Burst Discovered in the Arecibo Pulsar ALFA Survey

Author: A. Brazier, C. Aulbert, Duncan R. Lorimer, J. van Leeuwen, Benjamin Knispel, Scott M. Ransom, Fredrick A. Jenet, Laura Spitler, C. Karako-Argaman, Ingrid H. Stairs, Kejia Lee, A. Venkataraman, James M. Cordes, H. Fehrmann, Jason W. T. Hessels, Benjamin William Allen, Julia S. Deneva, Sourav Chatterjee, Robert Wharton, Victoria M. Kaspi, Fernando Camilo, Maura McLaughlin, A. G. Lyne, Weiwei Zhu, Fronefield Crawford, Kevin Stovall, Paulo C. C. Freire, Slavko Bogdanov, P. Lazarus, J. K. Swiggum, X. Siemens, P. Scholz, R. S. Lynch, and High Energy Astrophys. & Astropart. Phys (API, FNWI)
Subjects: Physics, High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE), education.field_of_study, Brightness, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Fast radio burst, Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, Population, Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, FOS: Physical sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Astrophysics, Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics, 01 natural sciences, Radio telescope, Pulsar, Space and Planetary Science, 0103 physical sciences, Dispersion (optics), Arecibo Observatory, Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, education, 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics
Abstract: Recent work has exploited pulsar survey data to identify temporally isolated, millisecond-duration radio bursts with large dispersion measures (DMs). These bursts have been interpreted as arising from a population of extragalactic sources, in which case they would provide unprecedented opportunities for probing the intergalactic medium; they may also be linked to new source classes. Until now, however, all so-called fast radio bursts (FRBs) have been detected with the Parkes radio telescope and its 13-beam receiver, casting some concern about the astrophysical nature of these signals. Here we present FRB 121102, the first FRB discovery from a geographic location other than Parkes. FRB 121102 was found in the Galactic anti-center region in the 1.4-GHz Pulsar ALFA survey with the Arecibo Observatory with a DM = 557.4 $\pm$ 3 pc cm$^{-3}$, pulse width of $3\; \pm 0.5$ ms, and no evidence of interstellar scattering. The observed delay of the signal arrival time with frequency agrees precisely with the expectation of dispersion through an ionized medium. Despite its low Galactic latitude ($b = -0.2^{\circ}$), the burst has three times the maximum Galactic DM expected along this particular line-of-sight, suggesting an extragalactic origin. A peculiar aspect of the signal is an inverted spectrum; we interpret this as a consequence of being detected in a sidelobe of the ALFA receiver. FRB 121102's brightness, duration, and the inferred event rate are all consistent with the properties of the previously detected Parkes bursts., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, submitted to ApJ
Published: 2014

30. Arecibo Pulsar Survey Using ALFA. III. Precursor Survey and Population Synthesis

Author: Ben Stappers, Benjamin Knispel, N. D. R. Bhat, A. Venkataraman, Jason W. T. Hessels, R. S. Lynch, Weiwei Zhu, D. J. Champion, Fredrick A. Jenet, V. M. Kaspi, Duncan R. Lorimer, Benjamin William Allen, Paulo C. C. Freire, David J. Nice, Slavko Bogdanov, Fronefield Crawford, A. Brazier, Fernando Camilo, Kevin Stovall, Andrew Lyne, Samuel Bates, Kejia Lee, J. K. Swiggum, C. Karako-Argaman, X. Siemens, Suvro Chatterjee, Ingrid H. Stairs, Scott M. Ransom, J. S. Deneva, P. Lazarus, Tess R. Senty, James M. Cordes, Justin A. Ellis, Paul Scholz, Maura McLaughlin, J. van Leeuwen, and High Energy Astrophys. & Astropart. Phys (API, FNWI)
Subjects: Physics, High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE), Millisecond, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, FOS: Physical sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Observable, Astrophysics, Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics, Galactic plane, 01 natural sciences, Galaxy, Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics, Pulsar, Space and Planetary Science, Millisecond pulsar, 0103 physical sciences, Population synthesis, Disc, Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
Abstract: The Pulsar Arecibo L-band Feed Array (PALFA) Survey uses the ALFA 7-beam receiver to search both inner and outer Galactic sectors visible from Arecibo ($32^{\circ}\lesssim \ell \lesssim 77^{\circ}$ and $168^{\circ}\lesssim \ell \lesssim 214^{\circ}$) close to the Galactic plane ($|b|\lesssim5^{\circ}$) for pulsars. In this paper we detail a precursor survey of this region with PALFA, which observed a subset of the full region (slightly more restrictive in $\ell$ and $|b|\lesssim1^{\circ}$) and detected 45 pulsars. For both Galactic millisecond and normal pulsar populations, we compare the survey's detections with simulations to model these populations and, in particular, to estimate the number of observable pulsars in the Galaxy. We place 95\% confidence intervals of 82,000 to 143,000 on the number of detectable normal pulsars and 9,000 to 100,000 on the number of detectable millisecond pulsars in the Galactic disk. These are consistent with previous estimates. Given the most likely population size in each case (107,000 and 15,000 for normal and millisecond pulsars, respectively) we extend survey detection simulations to predict that, when complete, the full PALFA survey should have detected $1,000\substack{+330 \\ -230}$ normal pulsars and $30\substack{+200 \\ -20}$ millisecond pulsars. Identical estimation techniques predict that $490\substack{+160 \\ -115}$ normal pulsars and $12\substack{+70 \\ -5}$ millisecond pulsars would be detected by the beginning of 2014; at the time, the PALFA survey had detected 283 normal pulsars and 31 millisecond pulsars, respectively., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures
Published: 2014
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31. The Green Bank North Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey. V. Pulsar Census and Survey Sensitivity.

Author: A. E. McEwen, R. Spiewak, J. K. Swiggum, D. L. Kaplan, W. Fiore, G. Y. Agazie, H. Blumer, P. Chawla, M. DeCesar, V. M. Kaspi, V. I. Kondratiev, M. LaRose, L. Levin, R. S. Lynch, M. McLaughlin, M. Mingyar, H. Al Noori, S. M. Ransom, M. S. E. Roberts, and A. Schmiedekamp
Subjects: PULSAR detection, RADIO interference, PULSARS, ACTINIC flux, PARAMETERS (Statistics), SIGNAL-to-noise ratio
Abstract: The Green Bank North Celestial Cap (GBNCC) pulsar survey will cover the entire northern sky (δ > −40°) at 350 MHz, and is one of the most uniform and sensitive all-sky pulsar surveys to date. We have created a pipeline to reanalyze GBNCC survey data to take a 350 MHz census of all pulsars detected by the survey, regardless of their discovery survey. Of the 1413 pulsars in the survey region, we were able to recover 670. For these we present measured signal-to-noise ratios (S/N), flux densities, pulse widths, profiles, and where appropriate, refined measurements of dispersion measures (DMs) (656 out of 670) and new or improved spectral indices (339 out of 670 total, 47 new, 292 improved). We also measure the period-pulse width relation at 350 MHz to scale as . Detection scans for several hundred sources were reanalyzed in order to inspect pulsars’ single pulse behavior and 223 were found to exhibit evidence of nulling. With a detailed analysis of measured and expected S/N values and the evolving radio frequency interference environment at 350 MHz, we assess the GBNCC survey’s sensitivity as a function of spin period, DM, and sky position. We find the sky-averaged limiting flux density of the survey to be 0.74 mJy. Combining this analysis with PsrPopPy pulsar population simulations, we predict 60/5 nonrecycled/MSP discoveries in the survey’s remaining 21,000 pointings, and we begin to place constraints on population model parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Published: 2020
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32. Analysis of Multi-hour Continuous Observations of Seven Millisecond Pulsars.

Author: B. J. Shapiro-Albert, M. A. McLaughlin, M. T. Lam, J. M. Cordes, and J. K. Swiggum
Subjects: PULSARS, RADIO telescopes, GRAVITATIONAL waves, INTERSTELLAR medium
Abstract: Precision pulsar timing can be used for a variety of astrophysical tests, from the detection of gravitational waves to probing the properties of the interstellar medium. Here we analyze various noise contributions to pulsar timing residuals from continuous multi-hour observations of seven millisecond pulsars (MSPs). We present scintillation bandwidth measurements for all MSPs in the sample, some for the first time. We also present scintillation timescale measurements and lower limits for all MSPs for the first time. In addition, we present upper limits on the contribution of pulse phase jitter to the timing residual error for all MSPs. These long observations also allow us to constrain variations in dispersion measures (DMs) on hour-long timescales for several millisecond pulsars. We find that there are no apparent DM variations in any of the MSPs studied on these timescales, as expected. In light of new radio telescopes, such as the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, which will be able to time many pulsars for a short time each day, we search for differences in timing precisions from continuous pulse times of arrival (TOAs) and from equivalent length time-discontinuous TOAs. We find no differences in the precision for any of the MSPs in our sample, as expected. We conclude that the TOA variations are consistent with the expected breakdown into template-fitting, jitter, and scintillation errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Published: 2020
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33. The Green Bank North Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey. IV. Four New Timing Solutions.

Author: R. J. Aloisi, A. Cruz, L. Daniels, N. Meyers, R. Roekle, A. Schuett, J. K. Swiggum, M. E. DeCesar, D. L. Kaplan, R. S. Lynch, K. Stovall, Lina Levin, A. M. Archibald, S. Banaszak, C. M. Biwer, J. Boyles, P. Chawla, L. P. Dartez, B. Cui, and D. F. Day
Subjects: PULSAR detection, PULSARS, EXTREME value theory, BINARY pulsars
Abstract: We present timing solutions for four pulsars discovered in the Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap survey. All four pulsars are isolated with spin periods between 0.26 and 1.84 s. PSR J0038−2501 has a 0.26 s period and a period derivative of 7.6 × 10−19 s s−1, which is unusually low for isolated pulsars with similar periods. This low period derivative may be simply an extreme value for an isolated pulsar or it could indicate an unusual evolution path for PSR J0038−2501, such as a disrupted recycled pulsar from a binary system or an orphaned central compact object (CCO). Correcting the observed spin-down rate for the Shklovskii effect suggests that this pulsar may have an unusually low space velocity, which is consistent with expectations for DRPs. There is no X-ray emission detected from PSR J0038−2501 in an archival Swift observation, which suggests that it is not a young orphaned CCO. The high dispersion measure of PSR J1949+3426 suggests a distance of 12.3 kpc. This distance indicates that PSR J1949+3426 is among the most distant 7% of Galactic field pulsars, and is one of the most luminous pulsars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Published: 2019
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34. On-the-fly Mapping of New Pulsars.

Author: J. K. Swiggum and P. A. Gentile
Published: 2018
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35. The Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey. II. The Discovery and Timing of 10 Pulsars.

Author: A. M. Kawash, M. A. Mclaughlin, D. L. Kaplan, M. E. Decesar, L. Levin, D. R. Lorimer, R. S. Lynch, K. Stovall, J. K. Swiggum, E. Fonseca, A. M. Archibald, S. Banaszak, C. M. Biwer, J. Boyles, B. Cui, L. P. Dartez, D. Day, S. Ernst, A. J. Ford, and J. Flanigan
Subjects: PULSARS, TELESCOPES, DATA analysis, WHITE dwarf stars, NEUTRON stars
Abstract: We present timing solutions for 10 pulsars discovered in 350 MHz searches with the Green Bank Telescope. Nine of these were discovered in the Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap survey and one was discovered by students in the Pulsar Search Collaboratory program during an analysis of drift-scan data. Following the discovery and confirmation with the Green Bank Telescope, timing has yielded phase-connected solutions with high-precision measurements of rotational and astrometric parameters. Eight of the pulsars are slow and isolated, including PSR J0930−2301, a pulsar with a nulling fraction lower limit of ∼30% and a nulling timescale of seconds to minutes. This pulsar also shows evidence of mode changing. The remaining two pulsars have undergone recycling, accreting material from binary companions, resulting in higher spin frequencies. PSR J0557−2948 is an isolated, 44 ms pulsar that has been partially recycled and is likely a former member of a binary system that was disrupted by a second supernova. The paucity of such so-called “disrupted binary pulsars” (DRPs) compared to double neutron star (DNS) binaries can be used to test current evolutionary scenarios, especially the kicks imparted on the neutron stars in the second supernova. There is some evidence that DRPs have larger space velocities, which could explain their small numbers. PSR J1806+2819 is a 15 ms pulsar in a 44-day orbit with a low-mass white dwarf companion. We did not detect the companion in archival optical data, indicating that it must be older than 1200 Myr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Published: 2018
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36. A Gaussian Mixture Model for Nulling Pulsars.

Author: D. L. Kaplan, J. K. Swiggum, T. D. J. Fichtenbauer, and M. Vallisneri
Subjects: *GAUSSIAN mixture models, *STARS, *MAGNETOSPHERE, *PROBABILITY theory, PULSAR detection
Abstract: The phenomenon of pulsar nulling—where pulsars occasionally turn off for one or more pulses—provides insight into pulsar-emission mechanisms and the processes by which pulsars turn off when they cross the “death line.” However, while ever more pulsars are found that exhibit nulling behavior, the statistical techniques used to measure nulling are biased, with limited utility and precision. In this paper, we introduce an improved algorithm, based on Gaussian mixture models, for measuring pulsar nulling behavior. We demonstrate this algorithm on a number of pulsars observed as part of a larger sample of nulling pulsars, and show that it performs considerably better than existing techniques, yielding better precision and no bias. We further validate our algorithm on simulated data. Our algorithm is widely applicable to a large number of pulsars even if they do not show obvious nulls. Moreover, it can be used to derive nulling probabilities of nulling for individual pulses, which can be used for in-depth studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Published: 2018
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37. A Multiwavelength Study of Nearby Millisecond Pulsar PSR J1400−1431: Improved Astrometry and an Optical Detection of Its Cool White Dwarf Companion.

Author: J. K. Swiggum, D. L. Kaplan, M. A. McLaughlin, D. R. Lorimer, S. Bogdanov, P. S. Ray, R. Lynch, P. Gentile, R. Rosen, S. A. Heatherly, B. N. Barlow, R. J. Hegedus, A. Vasquez Soto, P. Clancy, V. I. Kondratiev, K. Stovall, A. Istrate, B. Penprase, and E. C. Bellm
Subjects: *STELLAR mass, *MAGNETIC fields, *ASTRONOMY, *ASTROPHYSICS, *WHITE dwarf stars
Abstract: In 2012, five high-school students involved in the Pulsar Search Collaboratory discovered the millisecond pulsar (MSP) PSR J1400−1431, and initial timing parameters were published in Rosen et al. a year later. Since then, we have obtained a phase-connected timing solution spanning five years, resolving a significant position discrepancy and measuring , proper motion, parallax, and a monotonic slope in dispersion measure over time. Due to PSR J1400−1431’s proximity and significant proper motion, we use the Shklovskii effect and other priors to determine a 95% confidence interval for PSR J1400−1431’s distance, pc. With an improved timing position, we present the first detection of the pulsar’s low-mass white dwarf (WD) companion using the Goodman Spectrograph on the 4.1 m SOAR telescope. Deeper imaging suggests that it is a cool DA-type WD with K and . We show a convincing association between PSR J1400−1431 and a γ-ray point source, 3FGL J1400.5−1437, but only weak (3.3σ) evidence of pulsations after folding γ-ray photons using our radio timing model. We detect an X-ray counterpart with XMM-Newton, but the measured X-ray luminosity (1×1029 erg s−1) makes PSR J1400−1431 the least X-ray luminous rotation-powered MSP detected to date. Together, our findings present a consistent picture of a nearby ( pc) MSP in a 9.5-day orbit around a cool ∼0.3 M⊙ WD companion, with orbital inclination . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Published: 2017
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38. A Search for Fast Radio Bursts with the GBNCC Pulsar Survey.

Author: P. Chawla, V. M. Kaspi, A. Josephy, K. M. Rajwade, D. R. Lorimer, A. M. Archibald, M. E. DeCesar, J. W. T. Hessels, D. L. Kaplan, C. Karako-Argaman, V. I. Kondratiev, L. Levin, R. S. Lynch, M. A. McLaughlin, S. M. Ransom, M. S. E. Roberts, I. H. Stairs, K. Stovall, J. K. Swiggum, and J. van Leeuwen
Subjects: PULSAR detection, SOLAR radio bursts, RADIO astronomy, ACTINIC flux, ASTROPHYSICS
Abstract: We report on a search for fast radio bursts (FRBs) with the Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap (GBNCC) Pulsar Survey at 350 MHz. Pointings amounting to a total on-sky time of 61 days were searched to a dispersion measure (DM) of 3000 pc cm−3, while the rest (23 days; 29% of the total time) were searched to a DM of 500 pc cm−3. No FRBs were detected in the pointings observed through 2016 May. We estimate a 95% confidence upper limit on the FRB rate of FRBs sky−1 day−1 above a peak flux density of 0.63 Jy at 350 MHz for an intrinsic pulse width of 5 ms. We place constraints on the spectral index α by running simulations for different astrophysical scenarios and cumulative flux density distributions. The nondetection with GBNCC is consistent with the 1.4 GHz rate reported for the Parkes surveys for α > +0.35 in the absence of scattering and free–free absorption and α > −0.3 in the presence of scattering, for a Euclidean flux distribution. The constraints imply that FRBs exhibit either a flat spectrum or a spectral turnover at frequencies above 400 MHz. These constraints also allow estimation of the number of bursts that can be detected with current and upcoming surveys. We predict that CHIME may detect anywhere from several to ∼50 FRBs per day (depending on model assumptions), making it well suited for interesting constraints on spectral index, the log N–log S slope, and pulse profile evolution across its bandwidth (400–800 MHz). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Published: 2017
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39. THE NANOGRAV NINE-YEAR DATA SET: EXCESS NOISE IN MILLISECOND PULSAR ARRIVAL TIMES.

Author: M. L. Jones, M. A. McLaughlin, T. T. Pennucci, M. T. Lam, R. D. Ferdman, G. Jones, L. Levin, D. R. Madison, S. M. Ransom, D. J. Nice, R. M. Shannon, X. Siemens, J. K. Swiggum, W. W. Zhu, J. M. Cordes, S. Chatterjee, Z. Arzoumanian, K. Crowter, E. Fonseca, and I. H. Stairs
Subjects: GRAVITATIONAL wave astronomy, PULSARS, TIME, WHITE noise, POWER spectra, DATA
Abstract: Gravitational wave (GW) astronomy using a pulsar timing array requires high-quality millisecond pulsars (MSPs), correctable interstellar propagation delays, and high-precision measurements of pulse times of arrival. Here we identify noise in timing residuals that exceeds that predicted for arrival time estimation for MSPs observed by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves. We characterize the excess noise using variance and structure function analyses. We find that 26 out of 37 pulsars show inconsistencies with a white-noise-only model based on the short timescale analysis of each pulsar, and we demonstrate that the excess noise has a red power spectrum for 15 pulsars. We also decompose the excess noise into chromatic (radio-frequency-dependent) and achromatic components. Associating the achromatic red-noise component with spin noise and including additional power-spectrum-based estimates from the literature, we estimate a scaling law in terms of spin parameters (frequency and frequency derivative) and data-span length and compare it to the scaling law of Shannon & Cordes. We briefly discuss our results in terms of detection of GWs at nanohertz frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Published: 2017
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40. DISCOVERY AND FOLLOW-UP OF ROTATING RADIO TRANSIENTS WITH THE GREEN BANK AND LOFAR TELESCOPES.

Author: C. Karako-Argaman, V. M. Kaspi, R. S. Lynch, J. W. T. Hessels, V. I. Kondratiev, M. A. McLaughlin, S. M. Ransom, A. M. Archibald, J. Boyles, F. A. Jenet, D. L. Kaplan, L. Levin, D. R. Lorimer, E. C. Madsen, M. S. E. Roberts, X. Siemens, I. H. Stairs, K. Stovall, J. K. Swiggum, and J. van Leeuwen
Subjects: DRAKE equation, PULSATING stars, PULSARS, ASTROPHYSICS, ASTRONOMY
Abstract: We have discovered 21 Rotating Radio Transients (RRATs) in data from the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) 350 MHz Drift-scan and the Green Bank North Celestial Cap pulsar surveys using a new candidate sifting algorithm. RRATs are pulsars with sporadic emission that are detected through their bright single pulses rather than Fourier domain searches. We have developed RRATtrap, a single-pulse sifting algorithm that can be integrated into pulsar survey data analysis pipelines in order to find RRATs and Fast Radio Bursts. We have conducted follow-up observations of our newly discovered sources at several radio frequencies using the GBT and Low Frequency Array, yielding improved positions and measurements of their periods, dispersion measures (DMs), and burst rates, as well as phase-coherent timing solutions for four of them. The new RRATs have DMs ranging from 15 to 97 , periods of 240 ms to 3.4 s, and estimated burst rates of 20 to 400 pulses hr−1 at 350 MHz. We use this new sample of RRATs to perform statistical comparisons between RRATs and canonical pulsars in order to shed light on the relationship between the two populations. We find that the DM and spatial distributions of the RRATs agree with those of the pulsars found in the same survey. We find evidence that slower pulsars (i.e., ms) are preferentially more likely to emit bright single pulses than are faster pulsars ( ms), although this conclusion is tentative. Our results are consistent with the proposed link between RRATs, transient pulsars, and canonical pulsars as sources in various parts of the pulse activity spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Published: 2015
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41. PSR J1930–1852: A PULSAR IN THE WIDEST KNOWN ORBIT AROUND ANOTHER NEUTRON STAR.

Author: J. K. Swiggum, R. Rosen, M. A. McLaughlin, D. R. Lorimer, S. Heatherly, R. Lynch, S. Scoles, T. Hockett, E. Filik, J. A. Marlowe, B. N. Barlow, M. Weaver, M. Hilzendeger, S. Ernst, R. Crowley, E. Stone, B. Miller, R. Nunez, G. Trevino, and M. Doehler
Subjects: *NEUTRON stars, *PULSARS, *INTERNET domain naming system, *STELLAR evolution, *PULSATING stars
Abstract: In the summer of 2012, during a Pulsar Search Collaboratory workshop, two high-school students discovered J1930–1852, a pulsar in a double neutron star (DNS) system. Most DNS systems are characterized by short orbital periods, rapid spin periods, and eccentric orbits. However, J1930–1852 has the longest spin period ( 185 ms) and orbital period ( 45 days) yet measured among known, recycled pulsars in DNS systems, implying a shorter than average and/or inefficient recycling period before its companion went supernova. We measure the relativistic advance of periastron for J1930–1852, (4) deg yr−1, which implies a total mass ( (4) ) consistent with other DNS systems. The constraints on place limits on the pulsar and companion masses ( and respectively). J1930–1852’s spin and orbital parameters challenge current DNS population models and make J1930–1852 an important system for further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Published: 2015
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