Speaker
Kai Schmitz
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.