Mapping the Galactic Center with Gravitational Wave Measurements using Pulsar Timing

Details Mapping the Galactic Center with Gravitational Wave Measurements using Pulsar Timing Mapping the Galactic Center with Gravitational Wave Measurements using Pulsar Timing

2011-10-27

arxiv.org/abs/1110.6172v2

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Galaxy Astrophysics

12 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

Scientific paper

We examine the nHz gravitational wave (GW) foreground of stars and black holes (BHs) orbiting SgrA* in the Galactic Center. A cusp of stars and BHs generates a continuous GW spectrum below 40 nHz; individual BHs within 1 mpc to SgrA* stick out in the spectrum at higher GW frequencies. The GWs and gravitational near-field effects can be resolved by timing pulsars within a few pc of this region. Observations with the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) may be especially sensitive to intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs) in this region, if present. A 100ns-10mus timing accuracy is sufficient to detect BHs of mass 1000 Msun with pulsars at distance 0.1-1 pc in a 3 yr observation baseline. Unlike electromagnetic imaging techniques, the prospects for resolving individual objects through GW measurements improve closer to SgrA*, even if the number density of objects increases inwards steeply. Scattering by the interstellar medium will pose the biggest challenge for such observations.

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