The European Pulsar Timing Array: current efforts and a LEAP toward the future

TL;DR

The paper discusses the European Pulsar Timing Array's efforts in high-precision pulsar timing to detect gravitational waves, including current achievements, future plans, and the development of the Large European Array for Pulsars to enhance sensitivity.

Contribution

It introduces the current status of the EPTA, reports preliminary gravitational wave background limits, and presents the development of the LEAP for improved pulsar timing sensitivity.

Findings

Preliminary upper limit on gravitational wave background amplitude.

Development of the LEAP to enhance sensitivity and sky coverage.

Current timing precision achievements of EPTA telescopes.

Abstract

The European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) is a multi-institutional, multi-telescope collaboration, with the goal of using high-precision pulsar timing to directly detect gravitational waves. In this article we discuss the EPTA member telescopes, current achieved timing precision, and near-future goals. We report a preliminary upper limit to the amplitude of a gravitational wave background. We also discuss the Large European Array for Pulsars, in which the five major European telescopes involved in pulsar timing will be combined to provide a coherent array that will give similar sensitivity to the Arecibo radio telescope, and larger sky coverage.