The Indian Pulsar Timing Array Data Release 2: I. Dataset and Timing Analysis

TL;DR

This paper presents the second data release from the Indian Pulsar Timing Array, detailing 7 years of pulsar observations with improved timing precision and data quality, enhancing the potential for gravitational wave detection.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive dataset with high-precision measurements and reprocessed timing data, incorporating dual-band observations to better characterize interstellar medium effects.

Findings

High-precision dispersion measure estimates

Detection of solar wind related DM variations

Enhanced sensitivity for gravitational wave searches

Abstract

The Indian Pulsar Timing Array (InPTA) employs unique features of the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) to monitor dozens of the International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA) millisecond pulsars (MSPs), simultaneously in the 300-500 MHz and the 1260-1460 MHz bands. This dual-band approach ensures that any frequency-dependent delays are accurately characterized, significantly improving the timing precision for pulsar observations, which is crucial for pulsar timing arrays. We present details of InPTA's second data release that involves 7 yrs of data on 27 IPTA MSPs. This includes sub-banded Times of Arrival (ToAs), Dispersion Measures (DM), and initial timing ephemerides for our MSPs. A part of this dataset, originally released in InPTA's first data release, is being incorporated into IPTA's third data release which is expected to detect and characterize nanohertz gravitational waves in the coming years. The entire dataset is reprocessed in this second data release providing some of the highest precision DM estimates so far and interesting solar wind related DM variations in some pulsars. This is likely to characterize the noise introduced by the dynamic inter-stellar ionised medium much better than the previous release thereby increasing sensitivity to any future gravitational wave search.