Black hole quasinormal mode spectroscopy with LISA

TL;DR

This paper estimates the SNR for black hole quasinormal mode signals with LISA using a Monte Carlo approach, revealing higher SNR in certain mass ranges and directions, which could improve detection prospects.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed Monte Carlo method considering an eleven-dimensional parameter space to more accurately estimate LISA's SNR for black hole quasinormal modes, accounting for spin variations and directional dependence.

Findings

Higher SNR for black holes with masses 4-7 million solar masses due to spin effects.

Identification of sky directions with greater LISA response and blind spots.

Potential for increased event detection rate with LISA.

Abstract

The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for black hole quasinormal mode sources of low-frequency gravitational waves is estimated using a Monte Carlo approach that replaces the all-sky average approximation. We consider an eleven dimensional parameter space that includes both source and detector parameters. We find that in the black-hole mass range $M\sim 4$-$7\times 10^6M_{\odot}$ the SNR is significantly higher than the SNR for the all-sky average case, as a result of the variation of the spin parameter of the sources. This increased SNR may translate to a higher event rate for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). We also study the directional dependence of the SNR, show at which directions in the sky LISA will have greater response, and identify the LISA blind spots.