Waveform systematics in gravitational-wave inference of signals from binary neutron star merger models incorporating higher order modes information

TL;DR

This study investigates waveform modeling uncertainties in gravitational-wave signals from binary neutron star mergers, highlighting potential biases in source property estimation due to differences between leading waveform models.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of two advanced waveform models, NRHybSur3dq8Tidal and TEOBResumS, revealing their systematic differences and impact on parameter estimation.

Findings

Differences between models can cause biases in source property recovery.

Systematic uncertainties are significant for low-amplitude signals in current detectors.

Injection studies highlight the importance of waveform model choice in gravitational-wave analysis.

Abstract

Accurate information from gravitational wave signals from coalescing binary neutron stars provides essential input to downstream interpretations, including inference of the neutron star population and equation of state. However, even adopting the currently most accurate and physically motivated models available for parameter estimation (PE) of BNSs, these models remain subject to waveform modeling uncertainty: differences between these models may introduce biases in recovered source properties. In this work, we describe injection studies investigating these systematic differences between the two best waveform models available for BNS currently, NRHybSur3dq8Tidal and TEOBResumS. We demonstrate that for BNS sources observable by current second-generation detectors, differences for low-amplitude signals are significant for certain sources.