The Pulsar Timing Array results: a year after

Speaker

Mikel Falxa

Affiliation

Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca

When
Place

DIPC Josebe Olarra Seminar Room

Host

Silvia Bonoli

In June 2023, pulsar timing array (PTA) collaborations reported evidence of a stochastic gravitational wave background (GWB) signal in their datasets, with a significance approaching 4 sigma. While the exact origin of this signal remains uncertain, the leading hypothesis attributes it to the collective gravitational wave emissions from supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) formed during galaxy mergers. Since these initial publications, the literature has flourished with alternative analyses and explanations. In this talk, we will present the fundamental theory underlying PTA data analysis and review the most significant interpretation studies published in the year following the announcement. Finally, we will discuss ongoing projects and outline plans for the near future.