The Astrophysical Journal Letters (Jan 2023)
The NANOGrav 15 yr Data Set: Constraints on Supermassive Black Hole Binaries from the Gravitational-wave Background
- Gabriella Agazie,
- Akash Anumarlapudi,
- Anne M. Archibald,
- Paul T. Baker,
- Bence Bécsy,
- Laura Blecha,
- Alexander Bonilla,
- Adam Brazier,
- Paul R. Brook,
- Sarah Burke-Spolaor,
- Rand Burnette,
- Robin Case,
- J. Andrew Casey-Clyde,
- Maria Charisi,
- Shami Chatterjee,
- Katerina Chatziioannou,
- Belinda D. Cheeseboro,
- Siyuan Chen,
- Tyler Cohen,
- James M. Cordes,
- Neil J. Cornish,
- Fronefield Crawford,
- H. Thankful Cromartie,
- Kathryn Crowter,
- Curt J. Cutler,
- Daniel J. D’Orazio,
- Megan E. DeCesar,
- Dallas DeGan,
- Paul B. Demorest,
- Heling Deng,
- Timothy Dolch,
- Brendan Drachler,
- Elizabeth C. Ferrara,
- William Fiore,
- Emmanuel Fonseca,
- Gabriel E. Freedman,
- Emiko Gardiner,
- Nate Garver-Daniels,
- Peter A. Gentile,
- Kyle A. Gersbach,
- Joseph Glaser,
- Deborah C. Good,
- Kayhan Gültekin,
- Jeffrey S. Hazboun,
- Sophie Hourihane,
- Kristina Islo,
- Ross J. Jennings,
- Aaron Johnson,
- Megan L. Jones,
- Andrew R. Kaiser,
- David L. Kaplan,
- Luke Zoltan Kelley,
- Matthew Kerr,
- Joey S. Key,
- Nima Laal,
- Michael T. Lam,
- William G. Lamb,
- T. Joseph W. Lazio,
- Natalia Lewandowska,
- Tyson B. Littenberg,
- Tingting Liu,
- Jing Luo,
- Ryan S. Lynch,
- Chung-Pei Ma,
- Dustin R. Madison,
- Alexander McEwen,
- James W. McKee,
- Maura A. McLaughlin,
- Natasha McMann,
- Bradley W. Meyers,
- Patrick M. Meyers,
- Chiara M. F. Mingarelli,
- Andrea Mitridate,
- Priyamvada Natarajan,
- Cherry Ng,
- David J. Nice,
- Stella Koch Ocker,
- Ken D. Olum,
- Timothy T. Pennucci,
- Benetge B. P. Perera,
- Polina Petrov,
- Nihan S. Pol,
- Henri A. Radovan,
- Scott M. Ransom,
- Paul S. Ray,
- Joseph D. Romano,
- Jessie C. Runnoe,
- Shashwat C. Sardesai,
- Ann Schmiedekamp,
- Carl Schmiedekamp,
- Kai Schmitz,
- Levi Schult,
- Brent J. Shapiro-Albert,
- Xavier Siemens,
- Joseph Simon,
- Magdalena S. Siwek,
- Ingrid H. Stairs,
- Daniel R. Stinebring,
- Kevin Stovall,
- Jerry P. Sun,
- Abhimanyu Susobhanan,
- Joseph K. Swiggum,
- Jacob Taylor,
- Stephen R. Taylor,
- Jacob E. Turner,
- Caner Unal,
- Michele Vallisneri,
- Sarah J. Vigeland,
- Jeremy M. Wachter,
- Haley M. Wahl,
- Qiaohong Wang,
- Caitlin A. Witt,
- David Wright,
- Olivia Young,
- The NANOGrav Collaboration
Affiliations
- Gabriella Agazie
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Akash Anumarlapudi
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Anne M. Archibald
- ORCiD
- Newcastle University , NE1 7RU, UK
- Paul T. Baker
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Widener University, One University Place , Chester, PA 19013, USA
- Bence Bécsy
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University , Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Laura Blecha
- ORCiD
- Physics Department, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Alexander Bonilla
- ORCiD
- Observatório Nacional , Rua General José Cristino 77, São Cristóvã, 20921-400 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad El Bosque , Ak. 9 # 131 A-2, Bogotá, Colombia
- Adam Brazier
- ORCiD
- Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science and Department of Astronomy, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Center for Advanced Computing, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Paul R. Brook
- ORCiD
- Institute for Gravitational Wave Astronomy and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham , Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- Sarah Burke-Spolaor
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Rand Burnette
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University , Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Robin Case
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University , Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- J. Andrew Casey-Clyde
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Connecticut , 196 Auditorium Road, U-3046, Storrs, CT 06269-3046, USA
- Maria Charisi
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Shami Chatterjee
- ORCiD
- Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science and Department of Astronomy, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Katerina Chatziioannou
- ORCiD
- Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Belinda D. Cheeseboro
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Siyuan Chen
- ORCiD
- Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University , Beijing, 100871 People's Republic of China
- Tyler Cohen
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology , 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
- James M. Cordes
- ORCiD
- Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science and Department of Astronomy, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Neil J. Cornish
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Montana State University , Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
- Fronefield Crawford
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Franklin & Marshall College , P.O. Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604, USA
- H. Thankful Cromartie
- ORCiD
- Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science and Department of Astronomy, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Kathryn Crowter
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia , 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
- Curt J. Cutler
- ORCiD
- Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
- Daniel J. D’Orazio
- ORCiD
- Niels Bohr International Academy, Niels Bohr Institute , Blegdamsvej 17, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Megan E. DeCesar
- ORCiD
- George Mason University , Resident at the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA
- Dallas DeGan
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University , Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Paul B. Demorest
- ORCiD
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory , 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
- Heling Deng
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University , Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Timothy Dolch
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Hillsdale College , 33 East College Street, Hillsdale, MI 49242, USA; Eureka Scientific , 2452 Delmer Street, Suite 100, Oakland, CA 94602-3017, USA
- Brendan Drachler
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology , Rochester, NY 14623, USA; Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, Rochester Institute of Technology , Rochester, NY 14623, USA
- Elizabeth C. Ferrara
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland , College Park, MD 20742, USA; Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology , NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- William Fiore
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Emmanuel Fonseca
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Gabriel E. Freedman
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Emiko Gardiner
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, 501 Campbell Hall #3411, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Nate Garver-Daniels
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Peter A. Gentile
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Kyle A. Gersbach
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Joseph Glaser
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Deborah C. Good
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Connecticut , 196 Auditorium Road, U-3046, Storrs, CT 06269-3046, USA; Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute , 162 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA
- Kayhan Gültekin
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Jeffrey S. Hazboun
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University , Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Sophie Hourihane
- ORCiD
- Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Kristina Islo
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Ross J. Jennings
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Aaron Johnson
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA; Theoretical AstroPhysics Including Relativity (TAPIR), MC 350-17, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Megan L. Jones
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Andrew R. Kaiser
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- David L. Kaplan
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Luke Zoltan Kelley
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, 501 Campbell Hall #3411, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Matthew Kerr
- ORCiD
- Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory , Washington, DC 20375-5352, USA
- Joey S. Key
- ORCiD
- University of Washington Bothell , 18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011, USA
- Nima Laal
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University , Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Michael T. Lam
- ORCiD
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology , Rochester, NY 14623, USA; Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, Rochester Institute of Technology , Rochester, NY 14623, USA
- William G. Lamb
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- T. Joseph W. Lazio
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
- Natalia Lewandowska
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, State University of New York at Oswego , Oswego, NY 13126, USA
- Tyson B. Littenberg
- ORCiD
- NASA Marshall Space Flight Center , Huntsville, AL 35812, USA
- Tingting Liu
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Jing Luo
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto , 50 Saint George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada
- Ryan S. Lynch
- ORCiD
- Green Bank Observatory, P.O. Box 2, Green Bank, WV 24944, USA
- Chung-Pei Ma
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, 501 Campbell Hall #3411, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Physics, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Dustin R. Madison
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of the Pacific , 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
- Alexander McEwen
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- James W. McKee
- ORCiD
- E.A. Milne Centre for Astrophysics, University of Hull , Cottingham Road, Kingston-upon-Hull, HU6 7RX, UK; Centre of Excellence for Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Modelling (DAIM), University of Hull , Cottingham Road, Kingston-upon-Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
- Maura A. McLaughlin
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Natasha McMann
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Bradley W. Meyers
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia , 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada; International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University , Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
- Patrick M. Meyers
- ORCiD
- Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Chiara M. F. Mingarelli
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Connecticut , 196 Auditorium Road, U-3046, Storrs, CT 06269-3046, USA; Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute , 162 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA; Department of Physics, Yale University , New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Andrea Mitridate
- ORCiD
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY , Notkestr. 85, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
- Priyamvada Natarajan
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, Yale University , 52 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Black Hole Initiative, Harvard University , 20 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Cherry Ng
- ORCiD
- Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto , 50 Saint George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada
- David J. Nice
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Lafayette College , Easton, PA 18042, USA
- Stella Koch Ocker
- ORCiD
- Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science and Department of Astronomy, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Ken D. Olum
- ORCiD
- Institute of Cosmology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University , Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Timothy T. Pennucci
- ORCiD
- Institute of Physics and Astronomy, Eötvös Loránd University , Pázmány P.s. 1/A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Benetge B. P. Perera
- ORCiD
- Arecibo Observatory , HC3 Box 53995, Arecibo, PR 00612, USA
- Polina Petrov
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Nihan S. Pol
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Henri A. Radovan
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Puerto Rico , Mayagüez, PR 00681, USA
- Scott M. Ransom
- ORCiD
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
- Paul S. Ray
- ORCiD
- Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory , Washington, DC 20375-5352, USA
- Joseph D. Romano
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Texas Tech University , Box 41051, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
- Jessie C. Runnoe
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Shashwat C. Sardesai
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Ann Schmiedekamp
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Penn State Abington , Abington, PA 19001, USA
- Carl Schmiedekamp
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Penn State Abington , Abington, PA 19001, USA
- Kai Schmitz
- ORCiD
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Münster , D-48149 Münster, Germany
- Levi Schult
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Brent J. Shapiro-Albert
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Xavier Siemens
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA; Department of Physics, Oregon State University , Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Joseph Simon
- ORCiD
- Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado , Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Magdalena S. Siwek
- ORCiD
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard University , 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Ingrid H. Stairs
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia , 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
- Daniel R. Stinebring
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Oberlin College , Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
- Kevin Stovall
- ORCiD
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory , 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
- Jerry P. Sun
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University , Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Abhimanyu Susobhanan
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Joseph K. Swiggum
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Lafayette College , Easton, PA 18042, USA
- Jacob Taylor
- Department of Physics, Oregon State University , Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Stephen R. Taylor
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Jacob E. Turner
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Caner Unal
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Be’er Sheva 84105, Israel; Feza Gursey Institute, Bogazici University , Kandilli, 34684, Istanbul, Turkey
- Michele Vallisneri
- ORCiD
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA; Theoretical AstroPhysics Including Relativity (TAPIR), MC 350-17, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Sarah J. Vigeland
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee , P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
- Jeremy M. Wachter
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Skidmore College , 815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, USA
- Haley M. Wahl
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University , P.O. Box 6315, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA; Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
- Qiaohong Wang
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University , 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Caitlin A. Witt
- ORCiD
- Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology, West Virginia University , Chestnut Ridge Research Building, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA; Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA), Northwestern University , Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Adler Planetarium , 1300 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
- David Wright
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Central Florida , Orlando, FL 32816-2385, USA
- Olivia Young
- ORCiD
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology , Rochester, NY 14623, USA; Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, Rochester Institute of Technology , Rochester, NY 14623, USA
- The NANOGrav Collaboration
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ace18b
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 952,
no. 2
p. L37
Abstract
The NANOGrav 15 yr data set shows evidence for the presence of a low-frequency gravitational-wave background (GWB). While many physical processes can source such low-frequency gravitational waves, here we analyze the signal as coming from a population of supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries distributed throughout the Universe. We show that astrophysically motivated models of SMBH binary populations are able to reproduce both the amplitude and shape of the observed low-frequency gravitational-wave spectrum. While multiple model variations are able to reproduce the GWB spectrum at our current measurement precision, our results highlight the importance of accurately modeling binary evolution for producing realistic GWB spectra. Additionally, while reasonable parameters are able to reproduce the 15 yr observations, the implied GWB amplitude necessitates either a large number of parameters to be at the edges of expected values or a small number of parameters to be notably different from standard expectations. While we are not yet able to definitively establish the origin of the inferred GWB signal, the consistency of the signal with astrophysical expectations offers a tantalizing prospect for confirming that SMBH binaries are able to form, reach subparsec separations, and eventually coalesce. As the significance grows over time, higher-order features of the GWB spectrum will definitively determine the nature of the GWB and allow for novel constraints on SMBH populations.
Keywords
