Pulsars and Gravitational Waves

TL;DR

This paper reviews how pulsars can be used to detect low-frequency gravitational waves via timing arrays and potentially emit high-frequency waves, with implications for physics and astronomy.

Contribution

It highlights the dual role of pulsars in gravitational wave detection and emission, emphasizing the importance of their equation of state.

Findings

Pulsars can detect nano-Hz gravitational waves through timing arrays.

Pulsars may emit kilo-Hz gravitational waves due to their compactness.

Detection of gravitational waves from pulsars can inform physics and astronomy.

Abstract

The relationship between pulsar-like compact stars and gravitational waves is briefly reviewed. Due to regular spins, pulsars could be useful tools for us to detect ~nano-Hz low-frequency gravitational waves by pulsar-timing array technique; besides, they would also be ~kilo-Hz high-frequency gravitational wave radiators because of their compactness. The wave strain of an isolate pulsar depends on the equation state of cold matter at supra-nuclear densities. Therefore, a real detection of gravitational wave should be very meaningful in gravity physics, micro-theory of elementary strong interaction, and astronomy.