Kavli Affiliate: Kejia Lee
| First 5 Authors: Xian Chen, Xian Chen, , ,
| Summary:
Theoretical models predict that intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) exist
in globular clusters (GCs), but observational evidence remains elusive.
Millisecond pulsars (MSPs), which are abundant in GCs and have served as
precise probes for gravitational waves (GWs), offer a unique opportunity to
detect potential IMBH binaries in GCs. Here, we consider the possibility of
using multiple MSPs in a GC to form a miniature pulsar timing array (PTA), so
as to take advantage of their correlated timing residuals to search for
potential IMBH binaries in the same cluster. Our semi-analytical calculations
reveal that nearby IMBH binaries around MSPs in GCs could induce
microsecond-level timing residuals. In GCs like $omega$ Centauri and M15,
favorable configurations are found which could lead to the detection of
binaries with mass ratios $qgtrsim0.1$ and orbital periods of a few days. We
estimate that future higher-precision timing programs could achieve
$100$-nanosecond sensitivity, substantially expanding the searchable parameter
space and establishing mini-PTAs as powerful detectors of IMBHs.
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