Bayesian pulsar timing and noise analysis with Vela.jl: an overview

Abstract

We present Vela, an efficient, modular, easy-to-use Bayesian pulsar timing and noise analysis package written in Julia. Vela provides an independent, efficient, and parallelized implementation of the full non-linear pulsar timing and noise model along with a Python binding named pyvela. One-time operations such as data file input, clock corrections, and solar system ephemeris computations are performed by pyvela with the help of the PINT pulsar timing package. Its reliability is ensured via careful design utilizing Julia's type system, strict version control, and an exhaustive test suite. This paper describes the design and usage of Vela focusing on the narrowband paradigm.