Home
Registration
Agenda/Program
Accommodations
Directions
Downloadable Flyer
Student Financial Support
Student Posters
For NYSS APS information, contact: Dr. Erica Simoson [email protected] 716-673-4625
"A Galactic Scale Gravitational Wave Observatory"
Maura McLaughlin
West Virginia University
Overview of the Abstract
Here you'll find the abstract for "A Galactic Scale Gravitational Wave Observatory," a talk given by Maura McLaughlin of West Virginia University at the yearly gathering of the New York State Society of Ambulatory Surgery Professionals (NYSSAPS). The abstract covers how pulsar timing arrays are used to hunt for gravitational waves.
Subjects Discussed
Pulsars serving as celestial clocks in fundamental physics experiments; millisecond pulsar timing arrays and gravitational wave detection; supermassive black hole binaries as gravitational wave sources; the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav); observations from the Green Bank Telescope and Arecibo Observatory; present constraints on gravitational wave sources and galaxy formation models; and anticipated sensitivity improvements with prospects for detection.
Pulsars are fast-spinning neutron stars whose remarkable rotational steadiness lets them act as celestial clocks in many fundamental physics experiments. One such experiment uses a network of precisely timed millisecond pulsars to pick up disturbances caused by gravitational waves. The gravitational waves detectable via pulsar timing are expected to come mainly from a collection of supermassive black hole binaries. I will outline the work of the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav), a collaboration that tracks more than 50 millisecond pulsars using the Green Bank Telescope and Arecibo Observatory. The latest constraints on different types of gravitational wave sources will be shared, and I will demonstrate how these limits are already shaping models of galaxy formation and evolution. I will also cover the significant sensitivity improvements anticipated from new millisecond pulsar discoveries, more advanced instruments, better detection algorithms, and international teamwork, and show that a detection could occur before the decade ends.
Common Questions
What does this NYSSAPS abstract cover?
It provides a summary of a presentation on employing a precisely timed millisecond pulsar array to detect gravitational waves, featuring the efforts of the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav).
Who wrote this abstract?
This abstract was authored by Maura McLaughlin from West Virginia University.
What exactly are pulsars, and why do they matter here?
Pulsars are swiftly rotating neutron stars with extraordinary rotational consistency, enabling their use as celestial clocks in fundamental physics experiments like gravitational wave detection.
Which observatories participate in the described pulsar timing array?
The collaboration uses the Green Bank Telescope and Arecibo Observatory to monitor an array of more than 50 millisecond pulsars.
What types of gravitational wave sources are covered?
The gravitational waves that pulsar timing can detect are expected to originate primarily from a group of supermassive black hole binaries.
How do I reach the program organizers?
Program contacts on this page include Dr. Heather Watson, Dr. Nelia Mann, Dr. Samuel Amanuel, and Ms. Lynnette Stec, plus phone and fax numbers for the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Union College.
For program, contact: Dr. Heather Watson – [email protected] Dr. Nelia Mann – [email protected] Dr. Samuel Amanuel – [email protected] Ms. Lynnette Stec – [email protected] Phone: 518-388-6254 Fax: 518-388-6947 Department of Physics & Astronomy, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308
This abstract is part of the NYSSAPS annual meeting program, which brings together researchers and students from across New York State. The talk highlights how pulsar timing arrays like NANOGrav are opening a new window on the universe through gravitational wave astronomy.