Noise analysis in the European Pulsar Timing Array data release 2 and its implications on the gravitational-wave background search-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Noise analysis in the European Pulsar Timing Array data release 2 and its implications on the gravitational-wave background search

Published:2021-11-23 Issue:4 Volume:509 Page:5538-5558
ISSN:0035-8711
Container-title:Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
language:en
Short-container-title:

Author:

Chalumeau A¹²³^ORCID,Babak S¹⁴,Petiteau A¹⁵,Chen S²³^ORCID,Samajdar A⁶,Caballero R N⁷^ORCID,Theureau G²³⁸,Guillemot L²³,Desvignes G⁹¹⁰^ORCID,Parthasarathy A⁹^ORCID,Liu K⁹,Shaifullah G⁶¹¹,Hu H⁹^ORCID,van der Wateren E¹²¹³,Antoniadis J⁹¹⁴¹⁵,Bak Nielsen A-S⁹¹⁶^ORCID,Bassa C G¹²,Berthereau A²³,Burgay M¹⁷^ORCID,Champion D J⁹^ORCID,Cognard I²³,Falxa M¹,Ferdman R D¹⁸,Freire P C C⁹^ORCID,Gair J R¹⁹,Graikou E⁹,Guo Y J⁹,Jang J⁹,Janssen G H¹²¹³,Karuppusamy R⁹,Keith M J²⁰,Kramer M⁹²⁰^ORCID,Lee K J⁷⁹²¹,Liu X J²⁰²²^ORCID,Lyne A G²⁰,Main R A⁹,McKee J W²³^ORCID,Mickaliger M B²⁰,Perera B B P²⁴^ORCID,Perrodin D¹⁷,Porayko N K⁹,Possenti A¹⁷,Sanidas S A²⁰,Sesana A⁶¹¹,Speri L²⁵^ORCID,Stappers B W²⁰^ORCID,Tiburzi C¹²,Vecchio A²⁶,Verbiest J P W⁹¹⁶^ORCID,Wang J¹⁶,Wang L²¹^ORCID,Xu H⁶²¹²⁷^ORCID

Affiliation:

1. CNRS, Astroparticule et Cosmologie, Université de Paris, F-75013 Paris, France

2. Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l’Environnement et de l’Espace LPC2E UMR7328, CNRS, Université d’Orléans, F-45071 Orléans, France

3. Station de Radioastronomie de Nançay, Observatoire de Paris, PSL University, CNRS, Université d’Orléans, F-18330 Nançay, France

4. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow region, Moscow 141700, Russia

5. IRFU, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

6. Dipartimento di Fisica ‘G. Occhialini’, Universitá degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano, Italy

7. Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, P. R. China

8. Laboratoire Univers et Théories LUTh, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Université de Paris, F-92190 Meudon, France

9. Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn, Germany

10. LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France

11. INFN, Sezione di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano, Italy

12. ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Oude Hoogeveensedijk 4, NL-7991 PD Dwingeloo, the Netherlands

13. Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, NL-6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands

14. Institute of Astrophysics, FORTH, N. Plastira 100, 70013, Heraklion, Greece

15. Argelander Institut für Astronomie, Auf dem Hügel 71, D-53117 Bonn, Germany

16. Fakultät für Physik, Universität Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany

17. INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, via della Scienza 5, I-09047 Selargius (CA), Italy

18. School of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of East Anglia, NR4 7TJ Norwich, UK

19. Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert Einstein Institut), Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm, Germany

20. Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, UK

21. National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, P. R. China

22. Laboratory of Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Normal University at Zhuhai, 519087 Beijing, P. R. China

23. Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, ON M5S 3H8 Toronto, Canada

24. Arecibo Observatory, HC3 Box 53995, PR 00612 Arecibo, USA

25. Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Albert Einstein Institut, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm, Germany

26. Institute for Gravitational Wave Astronomy and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT Birmingham, UK

27. Department of Astronomy, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China

Abstract

ABSTRACT The European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) collaboration has recently released an extended data set for six pulsars (DR2) and reported evidence for a common red noise signal. Here we present a noise analysis for each of the six pulsars. We consider several types of noise: (i) radio frequency independent, ‘achromatic’, and time-correlated red noise; (ii) variations of dispersion measure and scattering; (iii) system and band noise; and (iv) deterministic signals (other than gravitational waves) that could be present in the PTA data. We perform Bayesian model selection to find the optimal combination of noise components for each pulsar. Using these custom models we revisit the presence of the common uncorrelated red noise signal previously reported in the EPTA DR2 and show that the data still supports it with a high statistical significance. Next, we confirm that there is no preference for or against the Hellings–Downs spatial correlations expected for the stochastic gravitational-wave background. The main conclusion of the EPTA DR2 paper remains unchanged despite a very significant change in the noise model of each pulsar. However, modelling the noise is essential for the robust detection of gravitational waves and its impact could be significant when analysing the next EPTA data release, which will include a larger number of pulsars and more precise measurements.

Funder

European Pulsar Timing Array

INAF

University of Manchester

University of Birmingham

University of East Anglia

Peking University

European Research Council

Science and Technology Facilities Council

CNRS

CEA

Agence Nationale de la Recherche