Parameter estimation on compact binary coalescences with abruptly terminating gravitational waveforms

DOI10.1088/0264-9381/31/15/155005zbMATH Open1296.83020arXiv1404.2382OpenAlexW3100868992WikidataQ59452043 ScholiaQ59452043MaRDI QIDQ2877427FDOQ2877427

Authors: Ilya Mandel, Christopher P. L. Berry, Frank Ohme, S. Fairhurst 

Publication date: 22 August 2014

Published in: Classical and Quantum Gravity (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Gravitational-wave astronomy seeks to extract information about astrophysical systems from the gravitational-wave signals they emit. For coalescing compact-binary sources this requires accurate model templates for the inspiral and, potentially, the subsequent merger and ringdown. Models with frequency-domain waveforms that terminate abruptly in the sensitive band of the detector are often used for parameter-estimation studies. We show that the abrupt waveform termination contains significant information that affects parameter-estimation accuracy. If the sharp cutoff is not physically motivated, this extra information can lead to misleadingly good accuracy claims. We also show that using waveforms with a cutoff as templates to recover complete signals can lead to biases in parameter estimates. We evaluate when the information content in the cutoff is likely to be important in both cases. We also point out that the standard Fisher matrix formalism, frequently employed for approximately predicting parameter-estimation accuracy, cannot properly incorporate an abrupt cutoff that is present in both signals and templates; this observation explains some previously unexpected results found in the literature. These effects emphasize the importance of using complete waveforms with accurate merger and ringdown phases for parameter estimation.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1404.2382

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zbMATH Keywords

gravitational wavesinference methodscompact binariesFisher matrix formalism

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of statistics to physics (62P35) Equations of motion in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C10) Galactic and stellar dynamics (85A05) Gravitational waves (83C35) Galactic and stellar structure (85A15)

Cited In (7)

• Compact binary coalescences: constraints on waveforms
• Accelerating gravitational wave parameter estimation with multi-band template interpolation
• Parameter estimation of compact binaries using the inspiral and ringdown waveforms
• Self-force framework for transition-to-plunge waveforms
• Reconstruction of gravitational waveforms of coalescing spinless binaries in EOB theory based on PM approximation
• Waveform uncertainty quantification and interpretation for gravitational-wave astronomy
• Compact binary coalescence parameter estimations for 2.5 post-Newtonian aligned spinning waveforms

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