Speaker
Kai Schmitz
(Kavli IPMU, University of Tokyo)
Description
I will review the 2023 pulsar timing array (PTA) evidence for a stochastic gravitational-wave background at nanohertz frequencies and discuss how PTA observations allow us to search for new particle and gravitational physics, including: (1) physics beyond the Standard Model in the early Universe, (2) dark matter in our galaxy and in the vicinity of supermassive black-hole binaries, and (3) scenarios of modified gravity. Along the way, I will present new gravitational-wave templates for certain signal hypotheses and recommend best practices for the analysis of future PTA data sets.