Use and Abuse of the Model Waveform Accuracy Standards

TL;DR

This paper discusses the potential misinterpretations of waveform accuracy standards in gravitational-wave data analysis and offers suggestions to improve their correct application to ensure reliable waveform quality.

Contribution

It highlights common misapplications of waveform accuracy standards and proposes methods to prevent these issues, enhancing the standards' effectiveness.

Findings

Misinterpretations can undermine waveform quality control

Proper application of standards improves waveform reliability

Recommendations help avoid common pitfalls in waveform accuracy standards

Abstract

Accuracy standards have been developed to ensure that the waveforms used for gravitational-wave data analysis are good enough to serve their intended purposes. These standards place constraints on certain norms of the frequency-domain representations of the waveform errors. Examples are given here of possible misinterpretations and misapplications of these standards, whose effect could be to vitiate the quality control they were intended to enforce. Suggestions are given for ways to avoid these problems.