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70th anniversary of the birth of V.A. Rubakov. Reviews of topical problems


Precision methods of pulsar timing and polarimetry: results and prospects

†  a, b, ‡  c, d, §  a, e, f
a Lomonosov Moscow State University, Shternberg State Astronomical Institute, Universitetskii prosp. 13, Moscow, 119889, Russian Federation
b Kazan Federal University, ul. Kremlyovskaya 18, Kazan, 420008, Russian Federation
c Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, Bonn, 53121, Germany
d Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, Milano, 20126, Italy
e Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, prosp. 60-letiya Oktyabrya 7a, Moscow, 117312, Russian Federation
f Astro Space Center, Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino Radio Astronomy Observatory, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russian Federation

Pulsar timing is a sensitive tool of modern astrophysical research enabling measurements of the time delay of electromagnetic signals propagating from the source to the observer. Modern pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) are used to address various astrophysical problems, including the direct detection of space—time metric perturbations caused, in particular, by gravitational waves. We review the current status of pulsar timing research and recent results on the detection of a stochastic gravitational wave background at nanohertz frequencies of astrophysical and cosmological origin reported by the international collaborations NANOGrav, EPTA, InPTA, PPTA, and CPTA. We also discuss current constraints on scalar ultralight dark matter (pseudoscalar axion-like bosons) posed by the pulsar timing and polarimetry and prospects of these methods to solve other problems of fundamental physics and cosmology.

Fulltext pdf (2.6 MB)
Fulltext is also available at DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.2024.11.039812
Correspondence should be addressed to † director@sai.msu.ru, ‡ nporayko@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de, and § pshirkov@sai.msu.ru
Keywords: radiopulsars, pulsar timing, gravitational waves, stochastic gravitational wave background, supermassive binary black holes, ultralight scalar dark matter
PACS: 04.30.−w, 95.35.+d, 97.60.Gb (all)
DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.2024.11.039812
URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2025/2/c/
Citation: Postnov K A, Porayko N K, Pshirkov M S "Precision methods of pulsar timing and polarimetry: results and prospects" Phys. Usp. 68 146–162 (2025)
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Received: 30th, October 2024, revised: 18th, November 2024, 18th, November 2024

Оригинал: Постнов К А, Порайко Н К, Пширков М С «Прецизионные методы хронометрирования и поляриметрии пульсаров: результаты и перспективы» УФН 195 154–171 (2025); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.2024.11.039812

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