A New Approach to the Low Frequency Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background: Constraints from Quasars and the Astrometric Hellings-Downs Curve

Abstract

We present new astrometric constraints on the stochastic gravitational wave background and construct the first astrometric Hellings-Downs curve using quasar proper motions. From quadrupolar vector spherical harmonic fits to the Gaia proper motions of 1,108,858 quasars, we obtain a frequency-integrated upper limit on the gravitational wave energy density, $h_{70}^2\hat{I}{\text{c◯}}_{GW}\le 0.023$ (95% confidence limit), for frequencies between 11.2 nHz and $3.1\times 10^{-9}$ nHz ($1.33/t_0$). However, from the astrometric Hellings-Downs curve that describes the correlated proper motions between 2,104,609,881 quasar pairs as a function of their angular separation, we find a stronger constraint: a characteristic strain of $h_c\le 2.7\times 10^{-12}$ for $f_{\mathrm{ref}}=1$ yr${}^{-1}$ and $h_{70}^2\hat{I}{\text{c◯}}_{\mathrm{GW}}\le 0.0096$ at 95% confidence. We probe down to $\pm$0.005 $\hat{I}¼$as${}^2$ yr${}^{-2}$ in correlated power and obtain the lowest astrometric limit to date. This is also the first time that optical wavelength astrometry surpasses limits from radio-frequency interferometry. This astrometric analysis does not yet reach the sensitivity needed to detect the pulsar timing-based red gravitational wave spectrum extrapolated to the quasar gravitational wave sensitivity window, assuming that the turnover in the spectrum occurs at $\sim$1 nHz for massive black hole binaries. The limits presented here may exclude some exotic interpretations of the stochastic gravitational wave background.

Accepted for publication in ApJL; 11 pages, 4 figures, 1 table