Applying the metallicity-dependent binary fraction to double white dwarf formation: Implications for LISA

TL;DR

This study models the Galactic double white dwarf population for LISA, incorporating metallicity-dependent binary fractions, revealing significant impacts on the total population and foreground signals, with minimal effect on the resolvable sources.

Contribution

First simulation of Galactic DWDs for LISA incorporating empirically-derived metallicity-dependent binary fractions, comparing different binary evolution assumptions.

Findings

Metallicity affects the total DWD population size.

The LISA-resolvable DWD population remains similar across models.

Total DWD population can be reduced by over half with metallicity dependence.

Abstract

Short-period double white dwarf (DWD) binaries will be the most prolific source of gravitational waves (GWs) for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). DWDs with GW frequencies below $\sim1$ mHz will be the dominant contributor to a stochastic foreground caused by overlapping GW signals. Population modeling of Galactic DWDs typically assumes a binary fraction of 50% and a log-uniform Zero Age Main Sequence (ZAMS) orbital period distribution. However, recent observations have shown that the binary fraction of close, solar-type stars exhibits a strong anti-correlation with metallicity which modulates the ZAMS orbital period distribution below $10^4$ days. In this study we perform the first simulation of the Galactic DWD population observable by LISA which incorporates an empirically-derived metallicity-dependent binary fraction, using the binary population synthesis suite COSMIC and a metallicity-dependent star formation history. We compare two models: one which assumes a metallicity-dependent binary fraction, and one with a binary fraction of 50%. We repeat our analysis for three different assumptions for Roche-lobe overflow interactions. We find that while metallicity impacts the evolution and intrinsic properties of our simulated DWD progenitor binaries, the LISA-resolvable populations of the two models remain roughly indistinguishable. However, the size of the total Galactic DWD population orbiting in the LISA frequency band is reduced by more than half when accounting for a metallicity-dependent binary fraction for two of our four variations, which also lowers the effective foreground. The LISA population remains unchanged in number for two variations, highlighting the sensitivity of the population to binary evolution prescriptions.