Adiabatic waveforms from extreme-mass-ratio inspirals: an analytical approach

TL;DR

This paper introduces an analytical, user-ready waveform model for extreme-mass-ratio inspirals around Kerr black holes, covering a broad parameter space with high accuracy at the adiabatic order, aiding gravitational-wave data analysis.

Contribution

The authors develop a comprehensive analytical EMRI waveform model for generic orbits in Kerr spacetime, addressing high-dimensional parameter space challenges with accuracy up to the adiabatic order.

Findings

Model accurately covers all EMRIs with arbitrary inclination and spin

Captures transient self-force resonances affecting phase

Useful for ongoing gravitational-wave data analysis

Abstract

Scientific analysis for the gravitational-wave detector LISA will require theoretical waveforms from extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) that extensively cover all possible orbital and spin configurations around astrophysical Kerr black holes. However, on-the-fly calculations of these waveforms have not yet overcome the high dimensionality of the parameter space. To confront this challenge, we present a user-ready EMRI waveform model for generic (eccentric and inclined) orbits in Kerr spacetime, using an analytical self-force approach. Our model accurately covers all EMRIs with arbitrary inclination and black hole spin, up to modest eccentricity ($\lesssim 0.3$) and separation ($\gtrsim2$--$10M$ from the last stable orbit). In that regime, our waveforms are accurate at the leading `adiabatic' order, and they approximately capture transient self-force resonances that significantly impact the gravitational-wave phase. The model fills an urgent need for extensive waveforms in ongoing data-analysis studies, and its individual components will continue to be useful in future science-adequate waveforms.