Can We Hear Gravitational-Wave 'Beats' in the Rhythm of Pulsars?

Astronomers detect a cosmic “heartbeat” in pulsar signals

Researchers analyzing pulsar data have found tantalizing hints of ultra-slow gravitational waves. A team from Hirosaki University suggests these signals might carry “beats” — patterns formed by overlapping waves from supermassive black holes. This subtle modulation could help scientists tell whether the waves stem from ancient cosmic inflation or nearby black hole binaries, potentially identifying the true source of spacetime’s gentle vibrations.

Can we hear gravitational-wave 'beats' in the rhythm of pulsars?

Pulsars suggest that ultra–low-frequency gravitational waves are rippling through the cosmos. The signal seen by international pulsar timing array collaborations in 2023 could come from a stochastic gravitational-wave background—the sum of many distant sources—or from a single nearby binary of supermassive black holes.

Pulsar Observations Could Reveal Gravitational Wave Interference From Black Holes

A new study proposes detecting gravitational-wave “beats” using pulsar timing. Researchers from Hirosaki University suggest that interference between waves from supermassive black hole binaries could appear as periodic variations in pulsar signals. The method may help distinguish individual sources from a diffuse gravitational-wave background in upcoming observations.

Can we hear the ‘beats’ of gravitational waves in pulsars?

Researchers discovered that signals from pulsars suggest that ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves are rippling through the cosmos.