On the angular localization of gravitational-wave signals by pulsar timing arrays

arXiv:2603.10120 · astro-ph.HE, astro-ph.IM, gr-qc · Submitted 2026-03-10 · Read on arXiv

astro-ph.HE, astro-ph.IM, gr-qc

Submitted: 2026-03-10

Updated: 2026-09-05

Comments: Matches version accepted for publication in ApJ. 17 pages, 12 figures

Code: https://github.com/gabefreedman/etudes

License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/

Terminology

• pulsar timing arrays — 7× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Fisher Information — 3× in this paper · explained in 3 episodes
• Accuracy — 2× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Generalization — 2× in this paper · explained in 13 episodes
• Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes

Sources

• Pulsar Timing Array Observations of Massive Black Hole Binaries
• Null-stream pointing with pulsar timing arrays
• Expectations for the first supermassive black-hole binary resolved by PTAs II: Milestones for binary characterization
• Expectations for the first supermassive black-hole binary resolved by PTAs I: Model efficacy
• Reaching diffraction-limited localization with coherent PTAs

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