Constraints on ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves with statistics of pulsar spin-down rates

Abstract

We probe ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves (GWs) with statistics of spin-down rates of milli-second pulsars (MSPs) by a method proposed in our prevous work (Yonemaru et al. 2016). The considered frequency range is $10^{-12}\mathrm{Hz}\lesssim f_{\mathrm{GW}}\lesssim 10^{-10}$Hz, which cannot be accessed by the conventional pulsar timing array. The effect of such low-frequency GWs appears as a bias to spin-down rates which has a quadrupole pattern in the sky. We use the skewness of the spin-down rate distribution and the number of MSPs with negative spin-down rates to search for the bias induced by GWs. Applying this method to 149 MSPs selected from the ATNF pulsar catalog, we derive upper bounds on the time derivative of the GW amplitudes of $\dot{h}<6.2\times 10^{-18}{\sec }^{-1}$ and $\dot{h}<8.1\times 10^{-18}{\sec }^{-1}$ in the directions of the Galactic Center and M87, respectively. Approximating the GW amplitude as $\dot{h}\sim 2\pi f_{\mathrm{GW}}h$, the bounds translate into $h<3\times 10^{-9}$ and $h<4\times 10^{-9}$, respectively, for $f_{\mathrm{GW}}=1/(100\mathrm{yr})$. Finally, we give the implications to possible super-massive black hole binaries at these sites.

arXiv comment6pages, 10figures

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Cited by in corpus (6)

• Searching For Stochastic Gravitational Waves Below a Nanohertz
• Using Pulsar Parameter Drifts to Detect Sub-Nanohertz Gravitational Waves
• Damping of long wavelength gravitational waves by the intergalactic medium
• Constraints on ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves with statistics of pulsar spin-down rates II: Mann-Whitney U test
• First astrometric constraints on parity-violation in the gravitational wave background
• Constraints on ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves from an eccentric supermassive black hole binary