The NANOGrav 15-Year Data Set: Gravitational Wave Results

Explore the groundbreaking findings from the NANOGrav 15-year Data Set in this 41-minute conference talk on gravitational wave detection. Delve into the world of Pulsar Timing Arrays (PTAs) and their search for nanohertz gravitational waves using a network of stable millisecond pulsars. Learn about the coordinated efforts of various PTAs, including the Chinese Pulsar Timing Array (CPTA), European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA), Indian Pulsar Timing Array (InPTA), North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational waves (NANOGrav), and Australian Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA). Discover the evidence for a gravitational wave background (GWB) signal reported by these collaborations, with a focus on NANOGrav's results from their 15-year data set containing 67 millisecond pulsars. Examine the reported nominal amplitude of the common red signal and the significance of spatial correlations supporting a GWB. Gain insights into the implications of these findings for cosmological and astrophysical sources, as well as their potential to constrain various theories of gravity. Explore the search for single resolvable gravitational wave sources and the future prospects for confirming the gravitational wave origin of the detected signal through increased sensitivity and data set combinations.