We present a refined estimation of the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) based on observed dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs) together with AGN X-ray luminosity functions, in light of recent Pulsar Timing Array detections of an nHz SGWB. We identify a characteristic luminosity dependence in dual AGN fractions by compiling recent observational datasets, providing crucial constraints on supermassive black hole binary (SMBHB) populations. Our AGN-based model reproduces the current SGWB measurements within PTA observational uncertainties of 2−4σ uncertainties, demonstrating consistency between electromagnetic and gravitational wave observations. These findings establish SMBHBs as the dominant source of the nHz gravitational wave signal, providing crucial insights into their demographics and evolution.
@article{arxiv.2510.10548,
title = {Coherence of Supermassive Black Hole Binary Demographics with the nHz Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background},
author = {Katsunori Kusakabe and Yoshiyuki Inoue and Daisuke Toyouchi},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2510.10548},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
14 pages, 4 figures; Accepted for publication in ApJ