Undergraduate Thesis Or Project
 

Detecting Nanohertz Gravitational Waves by Searching for and Timing Millisecond Pulsars

Public Deposited

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/undergraduate_thesis_or_projects/k643b796t

Descriptions

Attribute NameValues
Creator
Abstract
  • Detecting gravitational waves is a topic at the forefront of physics. The first gravitational wave was detected by LIGO in 2015. This wave had a frequency in the 10s of Hz. This project is focused on detecting gravitational waves on the nanohertz spectrum using a pulsar timing array. This array put together by NANOGrav currently consists of 68 pulsars. These pulsars were found using two radio telescopes (Green Bank Observatory and Arecibo Observatory). Expanding the number of pulsars in the array allows background noise in the received radio signals to be averaged out over time. The type of pulsars used are millisecond pulsars, meaning their rotational period is on the order of milliseconds. Their period can be measured since the pulsars emit beams of radiation that are detected in the form of radio waves. Once the array is established, a gravitational wave signal that passes through the galaxy can theoretically be detected. The first step in this process is conducting pulsar searching observations. Then the data collected from these observations is analyzed and each potential pulsar candidate is ranked. Ranking pulsars is where most of the work was done on this project. Many candidates that are received are a form of radio frequency interference and ranking these as such allows this radio noise to be averaged out over time. If a candidate is ranked as a new pulsar, it is catalogued in the array and timing observations are conducted. The pulsars in the array are timed over many years. Since their pulses are very regular, small disturbances should be detectable once enough noise is filtered out. Approximately 2000 pulsar candidates were ranked, and four hours of remote telescope observations were conducted. As of now, no gravitational waves have been detected using the array.
Contributor
License
Resource Type
Date Issued
Degree Level
Degree Name
Degree Field
Degree Grantor
Commencement Year
Advisor
Academic Affiliation
Rights Statement
Publisher
Peer Reviewed
Language

Relationships

Parents:

This work has no parents.

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details Thesis_Final_Draft2_Nye.pdf 2021-05-30 Public Download