Compact binary coalescence parameter estimations for 2.5 post-Newtonian aligned spinning waveforms

TL;DR

This study assesses how accurately advanced ground-based detectors can estimate parameters of binary inspirals using 2.5 PN spinning waveforms, revealing improved mass measurements but less precise spin estimations compared to earlier 2PN analyses.

Contribution

It introduces the use of 2.5 PN aligned spinning waveforms for parameter estimation, highlighting differences from 2PN results and exploring the impact of priors on measurement accuracy.

Findings

Masses are determined more accurately with 2.5 PN waveforms.

Individual spins are measured less accurately than at 2PN order.

Combined spin parameters can be measured with higher precision.

Abstract

We examine the parameter accuracy that can be achieved by advanced ground-based detectors for binary inspiralling black holes and neutron stars. We use the 2.5 PN spinning waveforms of Arun et al. (2009). Our main result is that the errors are noticeably different from existing 2PN studies for aligned spins. While the masses can be determined more accurately, the individual spins are measured less accurately compared to previous work at lower PN order. We also examine several regions of parameter space relevant to expected sources and the impact of simple priors. A combination of the spins is measurable to higher accuracy and we examine what this can tell us about spinning systems.