Enabling multi-messenger science with pulsar timing arrays

人类正开始探索宇宙的新阶段。在过去的两年里，引力波已经被直接探测到，但到目前为止，宇宙中最大的双星——超大质量黑洞双星（SMBHBs）——仍然隐藏在我们的视线之外，尽管它们周围物质的电磁信号中有它们影响的痕迹。一项由甚大阵列（VLA）和甚长基线阵列（VLBA）在电磁波段找到它们的目标调查将用于完善它们的引力波发射模型。利用nanogrv（世界领先的脉冲星定时阵列）收集的12-15年的数据，结合VLA和VLBI的模型，将进行系统搜索，要么首次探测到SMBHB系统，要么在未探测到的情况下限制它们的演化过程。这项工作将成为未来“多信使”搜索的模板，结合电磁和重力领域来探测和研究smbhb。本科生将参与这项研究，这将使他们在STEM方面得到良好的培训。一种创新的STEM推广方法是基于这项研究的网络演示，以“科学广告”的形式，让公众参与到引力天文学的黎明时代。这项研究旨在探测来自双黑洞和/或合并超大质量黑洞（SMBHBs）的引力波和电磁波。我们将利用脉冲星计时阵列nanogrv，结合VLA和VLBA（无线电干涉仪）对附近星系合并的调查，进行有针对性的搜索，这些星系合并是当前SMBHB宿主的主要候选者。电磁搜索组件将为系统提供额外的约束，并将努力提高nanogravity对任何常驻smbhb的灵敏度。这种对纳赫兹频率引力波源的“多信使”搜索将根据轨道约束或VLA、VLBI和nanogravity数据获得的探测结果，对SMBHB的演化做出具体而独特的陈述。这项调查将允许使用这些互补的电磁和引力波搜索方法对候选目标进行深入研究，并将严格限制合并后星系系统中双星演化的效率。nanogravity的灵敏度正在提高，这项研究可能会导致检测，如果没有，将作为未来“多信使”搜索的模板。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Humanity is starting a new phase of exploration of the Universe. In the past two years gravitational waves have been directly detected, but so far, the most massive binaries in the Universe---supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs)---still hide from us, although there are traces of their influence in electromagnetic signals from the material around them. A targeted survey to find them in the electromagnetic band by the Very Large Array (VLA) and Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) will be used to refine models for their gravitational wave emission. Using the 12-15 years of data collected with NANOGrav, the world's leading pulsar timing array, combined with the models from VLA and VLBI, a systematic search will be made to either detect SMBHB systems for the first time, or to constrain their evolutionary processes in the event of a non-detection. This work will be a template for future "multi-messenger" searches that combine the domains of the electromagnetic and gravity to detect and study SMBHBs. Undergraduate students will take part in this research, which will give them excellent training in STEM. An innovative approach to STEM outreach, web-based presentations based on this research, in the form of "science advertisements" will be made to engage the public in the dawning era of gravitational astronomy.This research aims to detect gravitational and electromagnetic waves from binary and/or coalesced supermassive black holes (SMBHBs). A targeted search will be made using NANOGrav, a pulsar timing array, combined with a survey with the VLA and VLBA, radio interferometers, of nearby galaxy mergers that are prime candidates for current SMBHB hosts. The electromagnetic search component will provide added constraints on the systems and will work to raise NANOGrav's sensitivity to any resident SMBHBs. This "multi-messenger" search for nano-hertz frequency gravitational wave sources will make specific and unique statements about SMBHB evolution based on orbital constraints or detections obtained by the VLA, VLBI, and NANOGrav data. This survey will allow an in-depth study of the candidate targets using these complementary electromagnetic and gravitational wave search methods and will provide strict limits on the efficiency of binary evolution in post-merger galaxy systems. NANOGrav's sensitivity is improving and this research may lead to a detection and if not will serve as a template for future "multi-messenger" searches.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.