Pulsar Timing Arrays and their Applications

TL;DR

Pulsar Timing Arrays utilize stable millisecond pulsars as natural detectors for low-frequency gravitational waves and as independent time standards, with major projects like EPTA, NANOGrav, and PPTA advancing this field.

Contribution

This paper reviews the applications of Pulsar Timing Arrays in gravitational wave detection and time standard establishment, highlighting results from PPTA and future prospects.

Findings

PPTA has achieved precise pulsar timing measurements.

PTAs can detect low-frequency gravitational waves.

PTAs offer an independent time standard.

Abstract

Millisecond pulsars are intrinsically very stable clocks and precise measurement of their observed pulse periods can be used to study a wide variety of astrophysical phenomena. In particular, observations of a large sample of millisecond pulsars at regular intervals, constituting a Pulsar Timing Array (PTA), can be used as a detector of low-frequency gravitational waves and to establish a standard of time independent of terrestrial atomic timescales. Three major timing array projects have been established: The European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA), the North American pulsar timing array (NANOGrav) and the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA). Results from the PPTA project are described in some detail and future prospects for PTA projects are discussed.