Gravitational waves from coalescing binaries: detection strategies and Monte Carlo estimation of parameters

TL;DR

This paper explores advanced detection strategies for gravitational waves from coalescing binaries, applying differential geometry and Monte Carlo simulations to improve parameter estimation and source localization.

Contribution

It introduces the use of differential geometry for optimal detection and proposes using the coalescence instant for source direction estimation, with extensive simulation analysis.

Findings

Errors in parameter estimation exceed covariance matrix predictions at high SNR

Using the coalescence instant improves source localization accuracy

Monte Carlo simulations reveal significant deviations in error estimates

Abstract

The paper deals with issues pertaining the detection of gravitational waves from coalescing binaries. We introduce the application of differential geometry to the problem of optimal detection of the `chirp signal'. We have also carried out extensive Monte Carlo simulations to understand the errors in the estimation of parameters of the binary system. We find that the errors are much more than those predicted by the covariance matrix even at a high SNR of 10-15. We also introduce the idea of using the instant of coalescence rather than the time of arrival to determine the direction to the source.