Parameter estimation of inspiralling compact binaries using 3.5 post-Newtonian gravitational wave phasing: The nonspinning case
- Raman Research Institute, Bangalore 560 080 (India)
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, 5, The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3YB (United Kingdom)
- Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (India)
We revisit the problem of parameter estimation of gravitational-wave chirp signals from inspiralling nonspinning compact binaries in the light of the recent extension of the post-Newtonian (PN) phasing formula to order (v/c){sup 7} beyond the leading Newtonian order. We study in detail the implications of higher post-Newtonian orders from 1PN up to 3.5PN in steps of 0.5PN ({approx}v/c), and examine their convergence. In both initial and advanced detectors the estimation of the chirp mass (M) and symmetric mass ratio ({eta}) improve at higher PN orders but oscillate with every half-a-PN order. In initial LIGO, for a 10M{sub {center_dot}}-10M{sub {center_dot}} binary at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 10, the improvement in the estimation of M ({eta}) at 3.5PN relative to 2PN is {approx}19% (52%). We compare parameter estimation in different detectors and assess their relative performance in two different ways: at a fixed SNR, with the aim of understanding how the bandwidth improves parameter estimation, and for a fixed source, to gauge the importance of sensitivity. Errors in parameter estimation at a fixed SNR are smaller for VIRGO than for both initial and advanced LIGO. This is because of the larger bandwidth over which it observes the signals. However, for sources at a fixed distance it is advanced LIGO that achieves the lowest errors owing to its greater sensitivity. Finally, we compute the amplitude corrections due to the 'frequency-sweep' in the Fourier domain representation of the waveform within the stationary phase approximation and discuss its implication on parameter estimation. We find that the amplitude corrections change the errors in M and {eta} by less than 10% for initial LIGO at a signal-to-noise ratio of 10. Our analysis makes explicit the significance of higher PN order modeling of the inspiralling compact binary on parameter estimation.
- OSTI ID:
- 20709079
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 71, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.71.084008; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0556-2821
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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