Pulsar Timing Array Sensitivity to Anisotropy: Empirical Sensitivity Curves, Scaling Relations, and the Multi-resolution Pixel Basis
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: We quantify pulsar timing array (PTA) sensitivity to anisotropy in the gravitational-wave (GW) background using the cross-correlation-based Fisher information matrix in the pixel and spherical harmonic bases. We use a set of simulations to empirically determine scaling relations of a PTA’s sensitivity to anisotropy with the number of pulsars N psr in the array, the error δt on the times of arrival, the frequency f GW of the GWs, and the angular scale ΔΩ of the anisotropy. The sensitivity scales approximately as N psr 0.8 , δt −0.08 , and ΔΩ 1.6 − ΔΩ 2.1 (depending on the ranges of ℓ and m under consideration). In addition, we use realistic simulations to project the NANOGrav PTA sensitivity to a 30 yr baseline and quantify the growth in sensitivity at several time slices. Except at the lowest frequencies, we find negligible effect on sensitivity through increasing the observation duration only. Finally, we introduce a multi-resolution pixel basis motivated by the large dependence of the sensitivity on sky location, and demonstrate the operation of the basis through a set of injections and recoveries.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
Authors: Taha T. Moursy, Nihan S. Pol, Gabriella Agazie, Nikita Agarwal, Akash Anumarlapudi, Anne M. Archibald, Zaven Arzoumanian, Anjana Ashok, Jeremy G. Baier, Paul T. Baker, Bence Bécsy, Laura Blecha, Adam Brazier, Paul R. Brook, Sarah Burke-Spolaor, Rand Burnette, Robin Case, J. Andrew Casey-Clyde, Maria Charisi, Shami Chatterjee, Tyler Cohen, James M. Cordes, Neil J. Cornish, Fronefield Crawford, H. Thankful Cromartie, Kathryn Crowter, Megan E. DeCesar, Paul B. Demorest, Heling Deng, Lankeswar Dey, Timothy Dolch, Graham M. Doskoch, Elizabeth C. Ferrara, William Fiore, Emmanuel Fonseca, Gabriel E. Freedman, Emiko C. Gardiner, Nate Garver-Daniels, Peter A. Gentile, Kyle A. Gersbach, Joseph Glaser, Deborah C. Good, Kayhan Gültekin, Aiden Gundersen, C. J. Harris, Jeffrey S. Hazboun, Ross J. Jennings, Aaron D. Johnson, Megan L. Jones, David L. Kaplan, Anala K. Sreekumar, Luke Zoltan Kelley, Matthew Kerr, Joey S. Key, Nima Laal, Michael T. Lam, William G. Lamb, Bjorn Larsen, T. Joseph W. Lazio, Natalia Lewandowska, Tingting Liu, Duncan R. Lorimer, Jing Luo, Ryan S. Lynch, Chung-Pei Ma, Dustin R. Madison, Ashley Martsen, Cayenne Matt, Alexander McEwen, James W. McKee, Maura A. McLaughlin, Natasha McMann, Bradley W. Meyers, Patrick M. Meyers, Matthew T. Miles, Chiara M. F. Mingarelli, Andrea Mitridate, Cherry Ng, David J. Nice, Shania A. Nichols, Stella Koch Ocker, Daniel J. Oliver, Ken D. Olum, Timothy T. Pennucci, Benetge B. P. Perera, Polina Petrov, Henri A. Radovan, Scott M. Ransom, Paul S. Ray, Joseph D. Romano, Jessie C. Runnoe, Alexander Saffer, Shashwat C. Sardesai, Ann Schmiedekamp, Carl Schmiedekamp, Kai Schmitz, Levi Schult, Brent J. Shapiro-Albert, Xavier Siemens, Joseph Simon, Sophia V. Sosa Fiscella, Ingrid H. Stairs, Daniel R. Stinebring, Kevin Stovall, Abhimanyu Susobhanan, Joseph K. Swiggum, Jacob Taylor, Stephen R. Taylor, Mercedes S. Thompson, Jacob E. Turner, Michele Vallisneri, Rutger van Haasteren, Sarah J. Vigeland, Haley M. Wahl, Kevin P. Wilson, Caitlin A. Witt, David Wright, Olivia Young
Institutions: Texas Tech University, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, West Virginia University, Newcastle University, Goddard Space Flight Center, Oregon State University, Widener University, University of Birmingham, University of Florida, Cornell University, University of Connecticut, Washington State University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Montana State University, Franklin & Marshall College, Vanderbilt University, University of British Columbia, George Mason University, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Columbia University, University of New Mexico, Hillsdale College, Eureka Scientific, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, University of Maryland, College Park, University of California, Berkeley, University of Montana, University of Michigan, California Institute of Technology, University of Washington Bothell, Yale University, State University of New York at Oswego, Georgia State University, University of Toronto, University of California System, Occidental College, Union College, Curtin University, Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute, Lafayette College, Carnegie Institution for Science, Tufts University, Eötvös Loránd University, Arecibo Observatory, University of Puerto Rico System, Pennsylvania State University, University of Münster, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Oberlin College, Leibniz University Hannover, Wake Forest University, Rochester Institute of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,499
Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Vanderbilt University, California Institute of Technology, Texas Tech University, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Oregon State University, Flatiron Health, European Commission, University of Toronto, Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, College of Science, Oregon State University, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Office of Naval Research
Awards: NANOGrav@UPRM: Growing and Characterizing the NANOGrav Gravitational-Wave Detector, The First Multi-Messenger Study of Supermassive Black Hole Growth, CAREER: Unveiling the Nanohertz GW Discovery Landscape by Broadening Participation In Multi-Messenger Astrophysics, G2048821276, G2500807902, Enabling multi-messenger science with pulsar timing arrays, G2676722403, CAREER: More Accurate Galaxy Merger Rates to Propel Studies of Gravitational Waves and Star Formation in Galaxy Mergers, AccelNet-Implementation: The International Pulsar Timing Array, Characterizing the Early Co-evolution of Galaxies, Black Holes, and Gravitational-Wave Sources, WoU-MMA: Pulsar Timing Arrays Around the World CHIME in on Gravitational Waves, G3096611332, WOU-MMA: Probing Supermassive Binary Black Holes with Pulsar Timing Arrays, G3648211085, G3653412478, G3782671888, Astrophysics at the University of Birmingham - Consolidated grant 2022-2025, RII Track-1: Gravitational Wave Astronomy and the Appalachian Freshwater Initiative, Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), G5429681523, Improving NANOGrav Gravitational Wave Detection, G5805864723, Collaborative research: Completing the most sensitive low-frequency survey for radio pulsars and transients, The Construction of a Pulsar Interstellar Medium Array Detector, G6671297155, G7484881787, WoU-MMA: Multi-messenger Titans: Probing The Dynamics & Environments Of Supermassive Binary Black Holes, G8097610682, G830101876, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics
OpenAlex ID: W7202198547