Constraining the Properties of Supermassive Black Hole Systems Using Pulsar Timing: Application to 3C 66B

Data from long term timing observations of the radio pulsar PSR B1855+09 havebeen searched for the signature of Gravitational waves (G-waves) emitted by theproposed supermassive binary black hole system in 3C66B. For the case of acircular orbit, the emitted G-waves would generate detectable fluctuations inthe pulse arrival times of PSR B1855+09. General expressions for the expectedtiming residuals induced by G-wave emission from a slowly evolving, eccentric,binary black hole system are derived here for the first time. These waveformsare used in a Monte-Carlo analysis in order to place limits on the mass andeccentricity of the proposed black hole system. The reported analysis alsodemonstrates several interesting features of a gravitational wave detectorbased on pulsar timing.Comment: Submitted to ApJ Letter