Observing the dynamics of super-massive black hole binaries with Pulsar Timing Arrays. (arXiv:1207.5645v1 [astro-ph.HE])

Observing the dynamics of super-massive black hole binaries with Pulsar Timing Arrays. (arXiv:1207.5645v1 [astro-ph.HE]):
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 super-massive 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 the Earth are detected. This in turn provides a map
of the non-linear dynamics of the gravitational field and a new avenue to
tackle open problems in astrophysics connected to the formation and evolution
of super-massive black holes. We discuss the potential, the challenges and the
limitations of these observations.