New method could help physicists trace origins of gravitational waves

Technology Oct 15, 2025

Physicists from Hirosaki University have come up with a fresh method to trace the origins of nanohertz gravitational waves—those tiny ripples in space caused by massive events like supermassive black holes colliding.
By studying unique "beat" patterns in the timing of pulsars (think: super-precise cosmic clocks), they can figure out where these mysterious waves are coming from.

Pulsar timing arrays

This approach, led by Hideki Asada and Shun Yamamoto, uses pulsar timing arrays to sift real gravitational wave signals from background noise.
It could help scientists map huge structures in the universe and reveal more about how supermassive black holes—and other wild cosmic objects—actually work.