Parameter estimation errors from post-Newtonian waveform choices

Presentation Type

Abstract

Faculty Advisor

Marc Favata

Access Type

Event

Start Date

25-4-2025 1:30 PM

End Date

25-4-2025 2:29 PM

Description

It is well known that the post-Newtonian (PN) waveform contains frequency-independent terms at 2.5PN order. These terms contain a free parameter that is degenerate with the overall phase constant. One can either make a choice for the free parameter (e.g., an arbitrary reference frequency) or absorb the terms into the phase constant. However, these terms also depend on other binary source parameters. The choice of how these 2.5PN terms are handled (absorbed or not) thus has the potential to affect the inferred source parameters of an inspiralling compact binary, including the masses and spins. We investigate this issue for a range of binaries, for both current and third-generation detectors, quantifying the effect via the potential bias and changes in the measurement precision. We emphasize that an interpretation of source parameters is crucially tied to the assumed waveform model, and even seemingly trivial choices in the waveform can affect the extracted parameter values.

Comments

Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.

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Apr 25th, 1:30 PM Apr 25th, 2:29 PM

Parameter estimation errors from post-Newtonian waveform choices

It is well known that the post-Newtonian (PN) waveform contains frequency-independent terms at 2.5PN order. These terms contain a free parameter that is degenerate with the overall phase constant. One can either make a choice for the free parameter (e.g., an arbitrary reference frequency) or absorb the terms into the phase constant. However, these terms also depend on other binary source parameters. The choice of how these 2.5PN terms are handled (absorbed or not) thus has the potential to affect the inferred source parameters of an inspiralling compact binary, including the masses and spins. We investigate this issue for a range of binaries, for both current and third-generation detectors, quantifying the effect via the potential bias and changes in the measurement precision. We emphasize that an interpretation of source parameters is crucially tied to the assumed waveform model, and even seemingly trivial choices in the waveform can affect the extracted parameter values.