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Title: LOCAL MEASUREMENT OF {Lambda} USING PULSAR TIMING ARRAYS

Abstract

We consider the propagation of gravitational waves (GWs) in de Sitter spacetime and how a non-zero value of the cosmological constant might affect their detection in pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). If {Lambda} {ne} 0, the waves are anharmonic in Friedmann-Robertson-Walker coordinates, and although this effect is very small it gives rise to noticeable consequences for GWs originating in extragalactic sources such as spiraling black hole binaries. The results indicate that the timing residuals induced by GWs from such sources in PTAs will show a peculiar angular dependence with a marked enhancement around a particular value of the angle subtended by the source and the pulsars, depending mainly on the actual value of the cosmological constant and the distance to the source. The position of the peak could represent a gauge of the value of {Lambda}. The enhancement that the new effect brings about could facilitate the first direct detection of GWs while representing a local measurement of {Lambda}.

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. Departament d'Estructura i Constituents de la Materia and Institut de Ciencies del Cosmos (ICCUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22167710
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 764; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; BINARY STARS; BLACK HOLES; COORDINATES; COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT; COSMOLOGICAL MODELS; DISTANCE; GRAVITATIONAL RADIATION; GRAVITATIONAL WAVES; NONLUMINOUS MATTER; PULSARS; RADIATION DETECTION

Citation Formats

Espriu, Domenec, and Puigdomenech, Daniel. LOCAL MEASUREMENT OF {Lambda} USING PULSAR TIMING ARRAYS. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/764/2/163.
Espriu, Domenec, & Puigdomenech, Daniel. LOCAL MEASUREMENT OF {Lambda} USING PULSAR TIMING ARRAYS. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/764/2/163
Espriu, Domenec, and Puigdomenech, Daniel. 2013. "LOCAL MEASUREMENT OF {Lambda} USING PULSAR TIMING ARRAYS". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/764/2/163.
@article{osti_22167710,
title = {LOCAL MEASUREMENT OF {Lambda} USING PULSAR TIMING ARRAYS},
author = {Espriu, Domenec and Puigdomenech, Daniel},
abstractNote = {We consider the propagation of gravitational waves (GWs) in de Sitter spacetime and how a non-zero value of the cosmological constant might affect their detection in pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). If {Lambda} {ne} 0, the waves are anharmonic in Friedmann-Robertson-Walker coordinates, and although this effect is very small it gives rise to noticeable consequences for GWs originating in extragalactic sources such as spiraling black hole binaries. The results indicate that the timing residuals induced by GWs from such sources in PTAs will show a peculiar angular dependence with a marked enhancement around a particular value of the angle subtended by the source and the pulsars, depending mainly on the actual value of the cosmological constant and the distance to the source. The position of the peak could represent a gauge of the value of {Lambda}. The enhancement that the new effect brings about could facilitate the first direct detection of GWs while representing a local measurement of {Lambda}.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/764/2/163},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22167710}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 764,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Feb 20 00:00:00 EST 2013},
month = {Wed Feb 20 00:00:00 EST 2013}
}