Prospects for observing ultra-compact binaries with space-based gravitational wave interferometers and optical telescopes

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the potential for space-based gravitational wave detectors to identify ultra-compact binaries that can also be observed with optical telescopes, highlighting the prospects for multi-messenger astronomy.

Contribution

It quantifies the number of ultra-compact binaries detectable by both gravitational wave and electromagnetic observations with various detector configurations.

Findings

Up to several hundred sources could be detected with electromagnetic follow-up.

Detection depends on detector characteristics, limiting magnitude, and observing strategy.

Many binaries can be localized accurately enough for multi-messenger studies.

Abstract

Space-based gravitational wave interferometers are sensitive to the galactic population of ultra-compact binaries. An important subset of the ultra-compact binary population are those stars that can be individually resolved by both gravitational wave interferometers and electromagnetic telescopes. The aim of this paper is to quantify the multi-messenger potential of space-based interferometers with arm-lengths between 1 and 5 Gm. The Fisher Information Matrix is used to estimate the number of binaries from a model of the Milky Way which are localized on the sky by the gravitational wave detector to within 1 and 10 square degrees and bright enough to be detected by a magnitude limited survey. We find, depending on the choice of GW detector characteristics, limiting magnitude, and observing strategy, that up to several hundred gravitational wave sources could be detected in electromagnetic follow-up observations.