Pulsar timing arrays aim to detect and characterize low-frequency gravitational waves. We are poised to detect gravitational waves from an ensemble of unresolved supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs), the "stochastic background'', in the next 3-5 years using an array of precisely-timed millisecond pulsars. As we move towards regular observations of gravitational waves, we plan to detect single "continuous waves'' from SMBHBs, and along with their electromagnetic counterparts, utilize multi-messenger astronomy to push our understanding of the astrophysics of these sources.
The Argentine Institute of Radio Astronomy (IAR) has refurbished two 30-m telescopes for the purpose of pulsar-timing-array observations, with the first telescope already undergoing preliminary observations in March 2018. IAR can see a single, extremely bright millisecond pulsar, PSR J0437--4715, and observations of this pulsar are projected to increase the sensitivity in NANOGrav's "blind spot'' by a factor of 2–3 to different SMBHB systems, thus bridging the gap in our overall sky coverage, and providing sensitivity to a number of potential detectable SMBHB host galaxies. IAR can currently perform daily, four-hour observations of the pulsar, at 1400 MHz.
Multi-messenger astrophysics has been highlighted as one of the NSF's 10 Big Ideas. This proposal enables that science, with a large return for low risk and low cost. In this proposal, we plan to
- Acquire a dedicated storage machine with modules of Nx72TB (in a raid 6 array configuration) for uploading (through fast protocols, like globus) systematic pulsar observations at IAR,
- Install software for remote station observations and post-processing of raw data.
- Greatly increase the sensitivity of NANOGrav's sensitivity to gravitational waves in its "blind spot'' covering half the sky, with the inclusion of observations of PSR J0437--4715.
- Daily observations of Vela Pulsar enabling studies of glitches on short to long timescales,
- Raw data mining searching for Fast-Radio-Burst (FRB) with machine learning algorithms,
- Follow up of Magnetars in the souther hemisphere,
- Study of the short term (daily to hourly) interstellar scintillation.
Our team has expertise in managing large computational facilities (CCRG Lab) for full numerical simulations of GW sources and we will work closely with colleagues at the IAR to enable this high-precision pulsar timing observations, pulsar noise modeling, gravitational-wave analyses, and cyber-infrastructure developments.
Vipande vya wakati wa pulsar vinakusudia kugundua na kuelezea mawimbi ya uvutano ya masafa ya chini. "Tunatarajia kugundua mawimbi ya mvuto kutoka kwa seti ya ""mbili za shimo jeusi kubwa"" (SMBHBs) ambazo hazijafafanuliwa, ""msingi wa stochastic,"" katika miaka mitatu hadi mitano ijayo kwa kutumia safu ya pulsar za millisecond zilizopangwa kwa usahihi." "Kama tunaendelea kuelekea uchunguzi wa kawaida wa mawimbi ya mvuto, tunapanga kugundua ""wimbi la kuendelea"" kutoka kwa SMBHBs, na pamoja na wenzao wa umeme, kutumia nyota ya ""mjumbe"" ili kusukuma uelewa wetu wa astrophysics ya vyanzo hivi." Taasisi ya Argentina ya Radio Astronomy (IAR) imerekebisha darubini mbili za 30m kwa madhumuni ya uchunguzi wa safu ya wakati wa pulsar, na darubini ya kwanza tayari inapitia uchunguzi wa awali mnamo Machi 2018. IAR inaweza kuona pulsar moja ya milisekunde ya mwangaza, PSR J0437-4715, na uchunguzi wa pulsar hii unatarajiwa kuongeza unyeti katika "mahali pa kipofu" ya NANOGRAV kwa sababu ya 2 × 3 kwa mifumo tofauti ya SMBHB, na hivyo kuziba pengo katika chanjo yetu ya anga ya jumla, na kutoa unyeti kwa idadi ya uwezekano wa kugundua SMBHB. IAR inaweza kufanya uchunguzi wa kila siku wa saa nne wa pulsar kwa MHz 1400. "Kama ""Multi-messenger astrophysics"" ni moja ya mawazo ya kwanza ya sayansi ya kisasa." """Upendeleo huu unawezesha sayansi hiyo, na faida kubwa kwa hatari ya chini na gharama ya chini." "Kupitia mpango huu, tunapanga kupata mashine ya kuhifadhi ya kujitolea na moduli za NX72TB (katika muundo wa safu ya 6 ya kukamata) kwa kupakia (kupitia itifaki za haraka, kama globus) uchunguzi wa pulsar ya utaratibu katika IAR, na kusanikisha programu ya uchunguzi wa kituo cha mbali na usindikaji wa data mbichi. """ "Nanograv ni ""blind spot"" ya mawimbi ya mvuto, ambayo hufunika nusu ya anga, na inahusisha uchunguzi wa PSR J0437-4715." - Uchunguzi wa kila siku wa Vela Pulsar kuwezesha masomo ya glitches juu ya muda mfupi hadi mrefu, - Uchimbaji wa data mbichi kutafuta Fast-Radio-Burst (FRB) na algorithms ya kujifunza mashine, - Kufuatilia Magnetar katika hemisphere ya kusini, - Utafiti wa muda mfupi (kila siku kwa kila saa) interstellar scintillation. Timu yetu ina utaalam katika kusimamia vifaa vikubwa vya kompyuta (CCRG Lab) kwa ajili ya simulations kamili za nambari za vyanzo vya GW, na tutafanya kazi kwa karibu na wenzake katika IAR kuwezesha uchunguzi huu wa muda wa pulsar, pulsar, uchoraji wa kelele, uchambuzi wa mawimbi ya mvuto, na maendeleo ya miundombinu ya mtandao.