LISA double white dwarf binaries as Galactic accelerometers

TL;DR

This paper explores how gravitational wave signals from double white dwarf binaries observed by LISA can reveal information about Galactic structure through the effects of acceleration on GW frequency.

Contribution

It introduces a method to analyze the impact of Galactic acceleration on GW signals from DWDs and discusses how LISA can use these signals to probe Galactic matter distribution.

Findings

Galactic acceleration causes measurable frequency shifts in DWD GW signals.

LISA observations can constrain the distribution of matter in the Milky Way.

Acceleration effects are significant for parameter estimation of DWDs.

Abstract

Galactic double white dwarf (DWD) binaries are among the guaranteed sources for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), an upcoming space-based gravitational wave (GW) detector. Most DWDs in the LISA band are far from merging and emit quasimonochromatic GWs. As these sources are distributed throughout the Milky Way, they experience different accelerations in the Galactic gravitational potential, and therefore each DWD exhibits an apparent GW frequency chirp due to differential acceleration between the source and LISA. We examine how Galactic acceleration influences parameter estimation for these sources; and investigate how LISA observations could provide insight into the distribution of matter in the Galaxy.