Variance of the Hellings-Downs correlation
B. Allen
Abstract
The Hellings-Down (HD) function describes gravitational-wave (GW) induced correlations in pulse arrival times from pulsar populations. The author presents a thorough analytical treatment of the HD variance, demonstrating how cosmological vs. pulsar effects can be separated, and how variance measurements can provide unique insight on the GW sources themselves.
Topics & Concepts
PulsarPhysicsVariance (accounting)Gravitational waveCorrelation function (quantum field theory)AstrophysicsCorrelationPulse (music)Statistical physicsOpticsQuantum mechanicsMathematicsDetectorBusinessGeometryAccountingDielectricPulsars and Gravitational Waves ResearchCosmology and Gravitation TheoriesGamma-ray bursts and supernovae