2026ApJ...997..116D

Query : 2026ApJ...997..116D

2026ApJ...997..116D - Astrophys. J., 997, 116 (2026/January-3)

The NANOGrav 15 yr Dataset: Search for Gravitational Scattering of Pulsars by Free-floating Objects in Interstellar Space.

DEY L., JENNINGS R.J., TAYLOR J.D., GLASER J., McLAUGHLIN M.A., AGAZIE G., ANUMARLAPUDI A., ARCHIBALD A.M., ARZOUMANIAN Z., BAKER P.T., BROOK P.R., CROMARTIE H.T., CROWTER K., DECESAR M.E., DEMOREST P.B., DOLCH T., FERRARA E.C., FIORE W., FONSECA E., FREEDMAN G.E., GARVER-DANIELS N., GENTILE P.A., GOOD D.C., HAZBOUN J.S., JONES M.L., KAPLAN D.L., KERR M., LAM M.T., LAZIO T.J.W., LORIMER D.R., LUO J., LYNCH R.S., McEWEN A., McMANN N., MEYERS B.W., NG C., NICE D.J., PENNUCCI T.T., PERERA B.B.P., POL N.S., RADOVAN H.A., RANSOM S.M., RAY P.S., SCHMIEDEKAMP A., SCHMIEDEKAMP C., SHAPIRO-ALBERT B.J., STAIRS I.H., STOVALL K., SUSOBHANAN A., SWIGGUM J.K., WAHL H.M. (The NANOGrav Collaboration)

Abstract (from CDS):

Free-floating objects (FFOs) in interstellar space-rogue planets, brown dwarfs, and large asteroids that are not gravitationally bound to any star-are expected to be ubiquitous throughout the Milky Way. Recent microlensing surveys have discovered several free-floating planets that are not bound to any known stellar systems. Additionally, three interstellar objects, namely 1I/'Oumuamua, 2I/Borisov, and 3I/ATLAS, have been detected passing through our solar system on hyperbolic trajectories. In this work, we search for FFOs on hyperbolic orbits that pass near millisecond pulsars (MSPs), where their gravitational influence can induce detectable perturbations in pulse arrival times. Using the NANOGrav 15 yr narrow band dataset, which contains high-precision timing data for 68 MSPs, we conduct a search for such hyperbolic scattering events between FFOs and pulsars. Although no statistically significant events were detected, this nondetection enables us to place upper limits (ULs) on the number density of FFOs as a function of their mass within our local region of the Galaxy. For example, the UL on the number density for Jupiter-mass FFOs (∼10–2.5-10–3.5M⊙) obtained from different pulsars ranges from 5.25 × 106 pc–3 to 5.37 × 109 pc–3, while the UL calculated by combining results from all the pulsars is 6.03 × 105 pc–3. These results represent the first constraints on FFO population derived from pulsar timing data.

Abstract Copyright: © 2026. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Journal keyword(s): Millisecond pulsars - Free floating planets - Brown dwarfs - Interstellar objects - Primordial black holes

Status at CDS : Large table(s) will be appraised for possible ingestion in VizieR.

Simbad objects: 71

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Number of rows : 71
N Identifier Otype ICRS (J2000)
RA 		ICRS (J2000)
DEC 		Mag U Mag B Mag V Mag R Mag I Sp type #ref
1850 - 2026 		#notes
1 PSR J0023+0923 Psr 00 23 16.890 +09 23 24.18           ~ 137 0
2 PSR J0030+0451 Psr 00 30 27.42348 +04 51 39.7144           ~ 596 1
3 PSR J0340+41 Psr 03 40 23.2887 +41 30 45.300           ~ 91 0
4 PSR J0406+3039 Psr 04 06 32.51840 +30 39 42.4004           ~ 11 0
5 PSR J0437-47 Psr 04 37 15.7994581776 -47 15 08.544351636           DC 1032 0
6 PSR J0509+08 Psr 05 09 22.23485 +08 56 25.0248           ~ 23 0
7 PSR J0557+1551 Psr 05 57 31.44918 +15 50 06.0460           ~ 16 0
8 PSR J0605+3757 Psr 06 05 05.5444336 +37 57 35.996704           ~ 42 0
9 PSR J0610-2100 Psr 06 10 13.602953 -21 00 27.74435           ~ 116 0
10 PSR B0613-02.0 Psr 06 13 43.977070 -02 00 47.34294           ~ 319 1
11 PSR J0614-3329 Psr 06 14 10.3479 -33 29 54.116           ~ 134 1
12 PSR J0636+5129 Psr 06 36 04.84645 +51 28 59.9625           ~ 101 0
13 PSR J0645+5158 Psr 06 45 59.08191 +51 58 14.9210           ~ 65 0
14 PSR J0709+0458 Psr 07 09 08.36539 +04 58 51.4941           ~ 17 0
15 PSR B0736-40 Psr 07 38 32.2620 -40 42 39.420           ~ 212 0
16 PSR J0740+6620 Psr 07 40 45.799 +66 20 33.60           ~ 395 0
17 PSR J0931-1902 Psr 09 31 19.116246 -19 02 55.05445           ~ 60 0
18 PSR J1012-4235 Psr 10 12 12.938801 -42 35 53.40253           ~ 36 0
19 PSR J1012+5307 Psr 10 12 33.4345449600 +53 07 02.548542576     19.5     DA 419 1
20 PSR J1022+10 Psr 10 22 57.990 +10 01 52.92           ~ 279 2
21 PSR J1025-07 Psr 10 24 38.6991893112 -07 19 19.045523388     19.81 18.78 18.00 ~ 286 1
22 [L2007b] Cha J11091363-7734446 LM* 11 09 13.58688 -77 34 44.8716           ~ 19 0
23 OTS 44 Y*O 11 10 09.34392 -76 32 17.8512           M9.5+ 70 0
24 PSR J1125+7819 Psr 11 25 59.851 +78 19 48.70           ~ 36 0
25 PSR J1312+00 Psr 13 12 46.6406250 +00 51 00.071969           ~ 41 0
26 PSR J1453+1902 Psr 14 53 45.7175 +19 02 12.224           ~ 41 1
27 PSR J1455-3300 Psr 14 55 47.976991 -33 30 46.40280           ~ 165 1
28 PSR J1600-3053 Psr 16 00 51.902514 -30 53 49.45343           ~ 218 0
29 PSR J1614-2230 Psr 16 14 36.50974 -22 30 31.5420           ~ 452 1
30 PSR J1630+3734 Psr 16 30 36.4672852 +37 34 42.101440           ~ 48 0
31 PSR J1640+2224 Psr 16 40 16.744850 +22 24 08.84119           ~ 210 0
32 PSR J1643-1224 Psr 16 43 38.16612 -12 24 58.6334           ~ 260 2
33 PSR J1705-1903 Psr 17 05 43.84864 -19 03 41.4140           ~ 17 0
34 PSR J1713+0747 Psr 17 13 49.5367813 +07 47 37.450240           ~ 530 1
35 PSR J1719-14 Psr 17 19 10.076221 -14 38 01.00200           ~ 92 2
36 PSR J1730-2304 Psr 17 30 21.68471 -23 04 31.2590           ~ 194 1
37 PSR J1738+0333 Psr 17 38 53.966386 +03 33 10.87200           ~ 191 1
38 PSR J1741+1351 Psr 17 41 31.1499024 +13 51 44.279709           ~ 122 0
39 PSR J1744-1134 Psr 17 44 29.4220844 -11 34 54.801320           ~ 323 1
40 PSR J1745+1017 Psr 17 45 33.8371 +10 17 52.523           ~ 70 0
41 PSR J1747-4036 Psr 17 47 48.715690 -40 36 54.79950           ~ 83 0
42 PSR J1751-2857 Psr 17 51 32.686848 -28 57 46.57130           ~ 65 1
43 PSR J1802-2124 Psr 18 02 05.334393 -21 24 03.67600           ~ 101 1
44 PSR J1811-2405 Psr 18 11 19.854352 -24 05 18.42800           ~ 56 1
45 PSR J1832-0836 Psr 18 32 27.589497 -08 36 55.14540           ~ 86 0
46 PSR J1843-1113 Psr 18 43 41.260405 -11 13 31.10310           ~ 86 0
47 PSR J1853+1303 Psr 18 53 57.3183 +13 03 44.088           ~ 107 1
48 PSR B1855+09 Psr 18 57 36.390620 +09 43 17.20712           DA 569 1
49 PSR J1903+0327 Psr 19 03 05.7937 +03 27 19.222           ~ 187 1
50 PSR J1909-3744 Psr 19 09 47.42820 -37 44 14.7740           ~ 343 2
51 PSR J1910+1256 Psr 19 10 09.701454 +12 56 25.48680           ~ 108 1
52 PSR J1911+1347 Psr 19 11 55.204694 +13 47 34.38383           ~ 72 0
53 PSR J1918-0642 Psr 19 18 48.027685 -06 42 34.95735           ~ 146 0
54 PSR J1923+2515 Psr 19 23 22.494560 +25 15 40.64360           ~ 53 0
55 PSR B1937+21.4 Psr 19 39 38.560096 +21 34 59.13552           ~ 1142 0
56 PSR J1944+0907 Psr 19 44 09.32 +09 07 23.2           ~ 65 1
57 PSR J1946+3417 Psr 19 46 25.13182 +34 17 14.6770           ~ 64 0
58 PSR B1953+29 Psr 19 55 27.8680959374 +29 08 43.499227152           ~ 303 1
59 PSR J2010-1323 Psr 20 10 45.922635 -13 23 56.13270           ~ 93 0
60 PSR J2017+0603 Psr 20 17 22.7048 +06 03 05.585           ~ 120 1
61 PSR J2033+1736 Psr 20 33 16.9140266736 +17 37 48.047177388   11.59 10.50     ~ 76 0
62 PSR J2043+1711 Psr 20 43 20.8828 +17 11 28.941           ~ 129 1
63 PSR J2124-3358 Psr 21 24 43.834930 -33 58 45.49195           ~ 337 1
64 PSR B2145-07.8 Psr 21 45 50.45590 -07 50 18.5900           ~ 336 0
65 PSR J2214+3000 Psr 22 14 38.8480 +30 00 38.209           ~ 136 0
66 PSR J2229+26 Psr 22 29 50.883815 +26 43 57.61393           ~ 121 1
67 PSR J2234+06 Psr 22 34 22 +06 11.0           ~ 76 0
68 PSR J2234+0944 Psr 22 34 46.856913 +09 44 30.04150           ~ 82 0
69 PSR J2302+4442 Psr 23 02 46.9789 +44 42 22.102           ~ 124 0
70 PSR J2317+1439 Psr 23 17 09.235606 +14 39 31.29559           ~ 211 1
71 PSR J2322+2057 Psr 23 22 22.320041 +20 57 02.50080           ~ 129 1

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