Joint Observations of Space-based Gravitational-wave Detectors: Source Localization and Implication for Parity-violating gravity

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the capabilities of future space-based gravitational-wave detector networks, like LISA, Taiji, and TianQin, in localizing sources and testing the parity symmetry of gravity using Bayesian analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a Bayesian analysis framework to assess the source localization and parity-violation testing capabilities of multi-detector networks, highlighting their improved localization over single detectors.

Findings

Detector networks significantly improve source localization.

Networks and single detectors provide similar constraints on parity violation.

Method can be applied to various space-based GW observations.

Abstract

Space-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors, including LISA, Taiji and TianQin, are able to detect mHz GW signals produced by mergers of supermassive black hole binaries, which opens a new window for GW astronomy. In this article, we numerically estimate the potential capabilities of the future networks of multiple space-based detectors using Bayesian analysis. We modify the public package Bilby and employ the sampler PyMultiNest to analyze the simulated data of the space-based detector networks, and investigate their abilities for source localization and testing the parity symmetry of gravity. In comparison with the case of an individual detector, we find detector networks can significantly improve the source localization. While for constraining the parity symmetry of gravity, we find that detector networks and an individual detector follow the similar constraints on the parity-violating energy scale $M_{\rm PV}$. Similar analysis can be applied to other potential observations of various space-based GW detectors.