Abstract
Pulsar timing arrays are a prime tool to study unexplored astrophysical regimes with gravitational waves. Here, we show that the detection of gravitational radiation from individually resolvable supermassive black hole binary systems can yield direct information about the masses and spins of the black holes, provided that the gravitational-wave-induced timing fluctuations both at the pulsar and at Earth are detected. This in turn provides a map of the nonlinear dynamics of the gravitational field and a new avenue to tackle open problems in astrophysics connected to the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes. We discuss the potential, the challenges, and the limitations of these observations.
- Received 10 May 2012
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.081104
© 2012 American Physical Society
Synopsis
Sailing Choppy Gravitational Seas
Published 23 August 2012
Proposed measurements of arrays of pulsars could reveal the secrets of how supermassive black holes form, behave, and evolve.
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