LISA data analysis: The monochromatic binary detection and initial guess problems

We consider the detection and initial guess problems for the LISA gravitational wave detector. The detection problem is the problem of how to determine if there is a signal present in instrumental data and how to identify it. Because of the Doppler and plane-precession spreading of the spectral power of the LISA signal, the usual power spectrum approach to detection will have difficulty identifying sources. A better method must be found. The initial guess problem involves how to generate {\it a priori} values for the parameters of a parameter-estimation problem that are close enough to the final values for a linear least-squares estimator to converge to the correct result. A useful approach to simultaneously solving the detection and initial guess problems for LISA is to divide the sky into many pixels and to demodulate the Doppler spreading for each set of pixel coordinates. The demodulated power spectra may then be searched for spectral features. We demonstrate that the procedure works well as a first step in the search for gravitational waves from monochromatic binaries.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

LISA data analysis I: Doppler demodulation

The orbital motion of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) produces amplitude, phase and frequency modulation of a gravitational wave signal. The modulations have the effect of spreading a monochromatic gravitational wave signal across a range of frequencies. The modulations encode useful information about the source location and orientation, but they also have the deleterious affect of spreading a signal across a wide bandwidth, thereby reducing the strength of the signal relative to the instrument noise. We describe a simple method for removing the dominant, Doppler, component of the signal modulation. The demodulation reassembles the power from a monochromatic source into a narrow spike, and provides a quick way to determine the sky locations and frequencies of the brightest gravitational wave sources.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figures. References and new comments adde

Mapping the gravitational wave background

The gravitational wave sky is expected to have isolated bright sources superimposed on a diffuse gravitational wave background. The background radiation has two components: a confusion limited background from unresolved astrophysical sources; and a cosmological component formed during the birth of the universe. A map of the gravitational wave background can be made by sweeping a gravitational wave detector across the sky. The detector output is a complicated convolution of the sky luminosity distribution, the detector response function and the scan pattern. Here we study the general de-convolution problem, and show how LIGO (Laser Interferometric Gravitational Observatory) and LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) can be used to detect anisotropies in the gravitational wave background.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures. Submitted to CQ

Facing the LISA Data Analysis Challenge

By being the first observatory to survey the source rich low frequency region of the gravitational wave spectrum, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will revolutionize our understanding of the Cosmos. For the first time we will be able to detect the gravitational radiation from millions of galactic binaries, the coalescence of two massive black holes, and the inspirals of compact objects into massive black holes. The signals from multiple sources in each class, and possibly others as well, will be simultaneously present in the data. To achieve the enormous scientific return possible with LISA, sophisticated data analysis techniques must be developed which can mine the complex data in an effort to isolate and characterize individual signals. This proceedings paper very briefly summarizes the challenges associated with analyzing the LISA data, the current state of affairs, and the necessary next steps to move forward in addressing the imminent challenges.Comment: 4 pages, no figures, Proceedings paper for the TeV Particle Astrophysics II conference held Aug 28-31 at the Univ. of Wisconsi

Space missions to detect the cosmic gravitational-wave background

It is thought that a stochastic background of gravitational waves was produced during the formation of the universe. A great deal could be learned by measuring this Cosmic Gravitational-wave Background (CGB), but detecting the CGB presents a significant technological challenge. The signal strength is expected to be extremely weak, and there will be competition from unresolved astrophysical foregrounds such as white dwarf binaries. Our goal is to identify the most promising approach to detect the CGB. We study the sensitivities that can be reached using both individual, and cross-correlated pairs of space based interferometers. Our main result is a general, coordinate free formalism for calculating the detector response that applies to arbitrary detector configurations. We use this general formalism to identify some promising designs for a GrAvitational Background Interferometer (GABI) mission. Our conclusion is that detecting the CGB is not out of reach.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures, IOP style, References Adde

On detection of the stochastic gravitational-wave background using the Parkes pulsar timing array

We search for the signature of an isotropic stochastic gravitational-wave background in pulsar timing observations using a frequency-domain correlation technique. These observations, which span roughly 12 yr, were obtained with the 64-m Parkes radio telescope augmented by public domain observations from the Arecibo Observatory. A wide range of signal processing issues unique to pulsar timing and not previously presented in the literature are discussed. These include the effects of quadratic removal, irregular sampling, and variable errors which exacerbate the spectral leakage inherent in estimating the steep red spectrum of the gravitational-wave background. These observations are found to be consistent with the null hypothesis, that no gravitational-wave background is present, with 76 percent confidence. We show that the detection statistic is dominated by the contributions of only a few pulsars because of the inhomogeneity of this data set. The issues of detecting the signature of a gravitational-wave background with future observations are discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 7 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

Determining gravitational wave radiation from close galaxy pairs using a binary population synthesis approach

Context. The early phase of the coalescence of supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries from their host galaxies provides a guaranteed source of low-frequency (nHz-$\mu$Hz) gravitational wave (GW) radiation by pulsar timing observations. These types of GW sources would survive the coalescing and be potentially identifiable. Aims. We aim to provide an outline of a new method for detecting GW radiation from individual SMBH systems based on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) observational results, which can be verified by future observations. Methods. Combining the sensitivity of the international Pulsar Timing Array (PTA) and the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) detectors, we used a binary population synthesis (BPS) approach to determine GW radiation from close galaxy pairs under the assumption that SMBHs formed at the core of merged galaxies. We also performed second post-Newtonian approximation methods to estimate the variation of the strain amplitude with time. Results. We find that the value of the strain amplitude \emph{h} varies from about $10^{-14}$ to $10^{-17}$ using the observations of 20 years, and we estimate that about 100 SMBH sources can be detected with the SKA detector.Comment: 6pages,6figures,1tabl

Testing the equivalence principle: why and how?

Part of the theoretical motivation for improving the present level of testing of the equivalence principle is reviewed. The general rationale for optimizing the choice of pairs of materials to be tested is presented. One introduces a simplified rationale based on a trichotomy of competing classes of theoretical models.Comment: 11 pages, Latex, uses ioplppt.sty, submitted to Class. Quantum Gra