A nested sampling code for targeted searches for continuous gravitational waves from pulsars

TL;DR

This paper introduces a nested sampling code designed for targeted searches of continuous gravitational waves from pulsars, demonstrating its effectiveness through simulations and comparisons with existing methods.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel nested sampling algorithm for gravitational wave data analysis, improving parameter estimation and model selection for pulsar signals.

Findings

The code accurately estimates parameters in simulated data.

It outperforms previous MCMC and grid-based methods.

Provides detailed instructions for implementation.

Abstract

This document describes a code to perform parameter estimation and model selection in targeted searches for continuous gravitational waves from known pulsars using data from ground-based gravitational wave detectors. We describe the general workings of the code and characterise it on simulated data containing both noise and simulated signals. We also show how it performs compared to a previous MCMC and grid-based approach to signal parameter estimation. Details how to run the code in a variety of cases are provided in Appendix A.