ATNF Marsfield Lecture Theatre

Data have been collected for the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) project over the past 3.5 years. The main goal of the PPTA project is to make the first direct detection of gravitational waves. Already, we have used our data to limit the existence of a stochastic background of low-frequency gravitational waves. Other results from the project have included constraining Solar system planetary masses, studying the Solar corona and probing the interstellar medium. In the near future we expect to limit the existence of single coalescing massive black-hole binary systems to high red-shift, place limits on various theories of gravity, study pulsar spin-down and search for irregularities in terrestrial time standards.

To highlight our results and to discuss future issues we have organised a meeting to be held on the 12th and 13th of December 2007 in the ATNF lecture theatre (Sydney).