Analyzing Pulsar Timing Array Data through the Factorized Likelihood Approach

Pulsar Timing Arrays (PTA) utilize the extreme temporal precision of pulsars to search for the evidence of Gravitational Waves (GWs) hidden in their timing residuals. This thesis traces the recent history and results of contemporary PTAs, pulsar timing, and the statistical methods utilized in analyzing them. The Factorized Likelihood approach is described and explored using experiments to synthesize data combinations between PTA experiments, cross-validation techniques, and Dropout analyses to determine the robustness of a GW signal in a PTA.