Noise analysis in the European Pulsar Timing Array data release 2 and its implications on the gravitational-wave background search

A. Chalumeau; S. Babak; A. Petiteau; S. Chen; A. Samajdar; R. N. Caballero; G. Theureau; L. Guillemot; G. Desvignes; A. Parthasarathy; K. Liu; G. Shaifullah; H. Hu; E. van der Wateren; J. Antoniadis; A. -S. Bak Nielsen; C. G. Bassa; A. Berthereau; M. Burgay; D. J. Champion; I. Cognard; M. Falxa; R. D. Ferdman; P. C. C. Freire; J. R. Gair; E. Graikou; Y. J. Guo; J. Jang; G. H. Janssen; R. Karuppusamy; M. J. Keith; M. Kramer; K. J. Lee; X. J. Liu; A. G. Lyne; R. A. Main; J. W. McKee; M. B. Mickaliger; B. B. P. Perera; D. Perrodin; N. K. Porayko; A. Possenti; S. A. Sanidas; A. Sesana; L. Speri; B. W. Stappers; C. Tiburzi; A. Vecchio; J. P. W. Verbiest; J. Wang; L. Wang; H. Xu

doi:10.1093/mnras/stab3283

Noise analysis in the European Pulsar Timing Array data release 2 and its implications on the gravitational-wave background search

A. Chalumeau, S. Babak, A. Petiteau, S. Chen, A. Samajdar, R. N. Caballero, G. Theureau, L. Guillemot, G. Desvignes, A. Parthasarathy, K. Liu, G. Shaifullah, H. Hu, E. van der Wateren, J. Antoniadis, A. -S. Bak Nielsen, C. G. Bassa, A. Berthereau, M. Burgay, D. J. ChampionI. Cognard, M. Falxa, R. D. Ferdman, P. C. C. Freire, J. R. Gair, E. Graikou, Y. J. Guo, J. Jang, G. H. Janssen, R. Karuppusamy, M. J. Keith, M. Kramer, K. J. Lee, X. J. Liu, A. G. Lyne, R. A. Main, J. W. McKee, M. B. Mickaliger, B. B. P. Perera, D. Perrodin, N. K. Porayko, A. Possenti, S. A. Sanidas, A. Sesana, L. Speri, B. W. Stappers, C. Tiburzi, A. Vecchio, J. P. W. Verbiest, J. Wang, L. Wang, H. Xu

Physics and Astronomy

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Abstract

The European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) collaboration has recently released an extended data set for six pulsars (DR2) and reported evidence for a common red noise signal. Here we present a noise analysis for each of the six pulsars. We consider several types of noise: (i) radio frequency independent, "achromatic", and time-correlated red noise; (ii) variations of dispersion measure and scattering; (iii) system and band noise; and (iv) deterministic signals (other than gravitational waves) that could be present in the PTA data. We perform Bayesian model selection to find the optimal combination of noise components for each pulsar. Using these custom models we revisit the presence of the common uncorrelated red noise signal previously reported in the EPTA DR2 and show that the data still supports it with a high statistical significance. Next, we confirm that there is no preference for or against the Hellings-Downs spatial correlations expected for the stochastic gravitational-wave background. The main conclusion of the EPTA DR2 paper remains unchanged despite a very significant change in the noise model of each pulsar. However, modelling the noise is essential for the robust detection of gravitational waves and its impact could be significant when analysing the next EPTA data release, which will include a larger number of pulsars and more precise measurements.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5538–5558
Number of pages	21
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	509
Issue number	4
Early online date	23 Nov 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab3283
Publication status	Published - Feb 2022

Bibliographical note

21 pages, 11 figures, 7 tables, 1 appendix figure and 1 appendix table, accepted for publication to MNRAS

Keywords

gravitational waves
methods: data analysis
pulsars: general

Access to Document

10.1093/mnras/stab3283

ChalumeauA2021Noise
This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2021 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
Final published version, 8.68 MBLicence: None: All rights reserved

https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.05186Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

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Chalumeau, A., Babak, S., Petiteau, A., Chen, S., Samajdar, A., Caballero, R. N., Theureau, G., Guillemot, L., Desvignes, G., Parthasarathy, A., Liu, K., Shaifullah, G., Hu, H., Wateren, E. V. D., Antoniadis, J., Nielsen, A. .-S. B., Bassa, C. G., Berthereau, A., Burgay, M., ... Xu, H. (2022). Noise analysis in the European Pulsar Timing Array data release 2 and its implications on the gravitational-wave background search. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 509(4), 5538–5558. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab3283

@article{062df6a9501e4fba9fffba9555907ba3,

title = "Noise analysis in the European Pulsar Timing Array data release 2 and its implications on the gravitational-wave background search",

abstract = "The European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) collaboration has recently released an extended data set for six pulsars (DR2) and reported evidence for a common red noise signal. Here we present a noise analysis for each of the six pulsars. We consider several types of noise: (i) radio frequency independent, {"}achromatic{"}, and time-correlated red noise; (ii) variations of dispersion measure and scattering; (iii) system and band noise; and (iv) deterministic signals (other than gravitational waves) that could be present in the PTA data. We perform Bayesian model selection to find the optimal combination of noise components for each pulsar. Using these custom models we revisit the presence of the common uncorrelated red noise signal previously reported in the EPTA DR2 and show that the data still supports it with a high statistical significance. Next, we confirm that there is no preference for or against the Hellings-Downs spatial correlations expected for the stochastic gravitational-wave background. The main conclusion of the EPTA DR2 paper remains unchanged despite a very significant change in the noise model of each pulsar. However, modelling the noise is essential for the robust detection of gravitational waves and its impact could be significant when analysing the next EPTA data release, which will include a larger number of pulsars and more precise measurements. ",

keywords = "gravitational waves, methods: data analysis, pulsars: general",

author = "A. Chalumeau and S. Babak and A. Petiteau and S. Chen and A. Samajdar and Caballero, {R. N.} and G. Theureau and L. Guillemot and G. Desvignes and A. Parthasarathy and K. Liu and G. Shaifullah and H. Hu and Wateren, {E. van der} and J. Antoniadis and Nielsen, {A. -S. Bak} and Bassa, {C. G.} and A. Berthereau and M. Burgay and Champion, {D. J.} and I. Cognard and M. Falxa and Ferdman, {R. D.} and Freire, {P. C. C.} and Gair, {J. R.} and E. Graikou and Guo, {Y. J.} and J. Jang and Janssen, {G. H.} and R. Karuppusamy and Keith, {M. J.} and M. Kramer and Lee, {K. J.} and Liu, {X. J.} and Lyne, {A. G.} and Main, {R. A.} and McKee, {J. W.} and Mickaliger, {M. B.} and Perera, {B. B. P.} and D. Perrodin and Porayko, {N. K.} and A. Possenti and Sanidas, {S. A.} and A. Sesana and L. Speri and Stappers, {B. W.} and C. Tiburzi and A. Vecchio and Verbiest, {J. P. W.} and J. Wang and L. Wang and H. Xu",

note = "21 pages, 11 figures, 7 tables, 1 appendix figure and 1 appendix table, accepted for publication to MNRAS",

year = "2022",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1093/mnras/stab3283",

language = "English",

volume = "509",

pages = "5538–5558",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "SIPRI/Oxford University Press",

number = "4",

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Chalumeau, A, Babak, S, Petiteau, A, Chen, S, Samajdar, A, Caballero, RN, Theureau, G, Guillemot, L, Desvignes, G, Parthasarathy, A, Liu, K, Shaifullah, G, Hu, H, Wateren, EVD, Antoniadis, J, Nielsen, A-SB, Bassa, CG, Berthereau, A, Burgay, M, Champion, DJ, Cognard, I, Falxa, M, Ferdman, RD, Freire, PCC, Gair, JR, Graikou, E, Guo, YJ, Jang, J, Janssen, GH, Karuppusamy, R, Keith, MJ, Kramer, M, Lee, KJ, Liu, XJ, Lyne, AG, Main, RA, McKee, JW, Mickaliger, MB, Perera, BBP, Perrodin, D, Porayko, NK, Possenti, A, Sanidas, SA, Sesana, A, Speri, L, Stappers, BW, Tiburzi, C, Vecchio, A, Verbiest, JPW, Wang, J, Wang, L & Xu, H 2022, 'Noise analysis in the European Pulsar Timing Array data release 2 and its implications on the gravitational-wave background search', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 509, no. 4, pp. 5538–5558. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab3283

TY - JOUR

T1 - Noise analysis in the European Pulsar Timing Array data release 2 and its implications on the gravitational-wave background search

AU - Chalumeau, A.

AU - Babak, S.

AU - Petiteau, A.

AU - Chen, S.

AU - Samajdar, A.

AU - Caballero, R. N.

AU - Theureau, G.

AU - Guillemot, L.

AU - Desvignes, G.

AU - Parthasarathy, A.

AU - Liu, K.

AU - Shaifullah, G.

AU - Hu, H.

AU - Wateren, E. van der

AU - Antoniadis, J.

AU - Nielsen, A. -S. Bak

AU - Bassa, C. G.

AU - Berthereau, A.

AU - Burgay, M.

AU - Champion, D. J.

AU - Cognard, I.

AU - Falxa, M.

AU - Ferdman, R. D.

AU - Freire, P. C. C.

AU - Gair, J. R.

AU - Graikou, E.

AU - Guo, Y. J.

AU - Jang, J.

AU - Janssen, G. H.

AU - Karuppusamy, R.

AU - Keith, M. J.

AU - Kramer, M.

AU - Lee, K. J.

AU - Liu, X. J.

AU - Lyne, A. G.

AU - Main, R. A.

AU - McKee, J. W.

AU - Mickaliger, M. B.

AU - Perera, B. B. P.

AU - Perrodin, D.

AU - Porayko, N. K.

AU - Possenti, A.

AU - Sanidas, S. A.

AU - Sesana, A.

AU - Speri, L.

AU - Stappers, B. W.

AU - Tiburzi, C.

AU - Vecchio, A.

AU - Verbiest, J. P. W.

AU - Wang, J.

AU - Wang, L.

AU - Xu, H.

N1 - 21 pages, 11 figures, 7 tables, 1 appendix figure and 1 appendix table, accepted for publication to MNRAS

PY - 2022/2

Y1 - 2022/2

N2 - The European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) collaboration has recently released an extended data set for six pulsars (DR2) and reported evidence for a common red noise signal. Here we present a noise analysis for each of the six pulsars. We consider several types of noise: (i) radio frequency independent, "achromatic", and time-correlated red noise; (ii) variations of dispersion measure and scattering; (iii) system and band noise; and (iv) deterministic signals (other than gravitational waves) that could be present in the PTA data. We perform Bayesian model selection to find the optimal combination of noise components for each pulsar. Using these custom models we revisit the presence of the common uncorrelated red noise signal previously reported in the EPTA DR2 and show that the data still supports it with a high statistical significance. Next, we confirm that there is no preference for or against the Hellings-Downs spatial correlations expected for the stochastic gravitational-wave background. The main conclusion of the EPTA DR2 paper remains unchanged despite a very significant change in the noise model of each pulsar. However, modelling the noise is essential for the robust detection of gravitational waves and its impact could be significant when analysing the next EPTA data release, which will include a larger number of pulsars and more precise measurements.

AB - The European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) collaboration has recently released an extended data set for six pulsars (DR2) and reported evidence for a common red noise signal. Here we present a noise analysis for each of the six pulsars. We consider several types of noise: (i) radio frequency independent, "achromatic", and time-correlated red noise; (ii) variations of dispersion measure and scattering; (iii) system and band noise; and (iv) deterministic signals (other than gravitational waves) that could be present in the PTA data. We perform Bayesian model selection to find the optimal combination of noise components for each pulsar. Using these custom models we revisit the presence of the common uncorrelated red noise signal previously reported in the EPTA DR2 and show that the data still supports it with a high statistical significance. Next, we confirm that there is no preference for or against the Hellings-Downs spatial correlations expected for the stochastic gravitational-wave background. The main conclusion of the EPTA DR2 paper remains unchanged despite a very significant change in the noise model of each pulsar. However, modelling the noise is essential for the robust detection of gravitational waves and its impact could be significant when analysing the next EPTA data release, which will include a larger number of pulsars and more precise measurements.

KW - gravitational waves

KW - methods: data analysis

KW - pulsars: general

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U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stab3283

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stab3283

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 509

SP - 5538

EP - 5558

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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ER -

Noise analysis in the European Pulsar Timing Array data release 2 and its implications on the gravitational-wave background search

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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