Bayesian F -statistic-based parameter estimation of continuous gravitational waves from known pulsars
Abstract
We present a new method and implementation to obtain Bayesian posteriors on the amplitude parameters {h0,cos ι ,ψ ,ϕ0} of continuous gravitational waves emitted by known pulsars. This approach leverages the well-established F -statistic framework and software. We further explore the benefits of employing a likelihood function that is analytically marginalized over ϕ0, which avoids signal degeneracy problems in the ψ -ϕ0 subspace. The method is tested on simulated signals, hardware injections in Advanced-LIGO detector data, and by performing percentile-percentile self-consistency tests of the posteriors via Monte-Carlo simulations. We apply our methodology to PSR J1526-2744, a recently discovered millisecond pulsar. We find no evidence for a signal and obtain a Bayesian upper limit h095 % on the gravitational-wave amplitude of approximately 7 ×10-27, comparable with a previous frequentist upper limit.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review D
- Pub Date:
- May 2024
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevD.109.104002
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2401.17025
- Bibcode:
- 2024PhRvD.109j4002A
- Keywords:
-
- General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- 15 pages, 17 figures, updated to match published version