| Description: | Timing of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) has allowed some of the most precise tests in astrophysics to date, including the first indirect detection of gravitational waves, in 1982. Almost 30 years later, the direct detection of gravitational waves - and the birth of gravitational wave science - is predicted to be achieved by the same means. Specifically, simulations of hierarchical galaxy formation models predict a population of supermassive black-hole binaries in the nearby (z<2) Universe. These binaries would emit gravitational waves that would affect pulsar timing at the 10 to 100 ns level, over timescales of years to decades. In this talk I present results from the first sizeable long-term MSP timing campaign, confirming that the timing precision required for gravitational wave detection is achievable within the next decade. I further comment on how this gravitational wave sensitivity can be further improved through ongoing pulsar surveys, detailed studies of the ISM, accurate pulsar distance estimates and the next generation of radio telescopes. |
