Simulating Gravitational Waveforms from EMRIs for the LISA Mission
ORAL
Abstract
Gravitational wave astronomy is transforming our ability to study strong-field gravity through signals from compact binaries. Among the most informative sources are Extreme Mass Ratio Inspirals (EMRIs), where a stellar-mass black hole or neutron star orbits a supermassive black hole. These long-lived systems emit low-frequency gravitational waves that will be observed by the upcoming Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA).
We model EMRIs as a restricted three-body system, treating the smaller body as a test mass moving in the curved spacetime of the larger one. Using the Wahlquist waveform formalism, we compute the two gravitational wave polarizations, h+(t) and h×(t), from numerically solved orbital motion.
By varying orbital parameters such as eccentricity, inclination, orbital period, and mass ratio, we explore how these factors shape waveform morphology and spectral behavior. The resulting simulations generate theoretical templates for interpreting future LISA observations and identifying astrophysical sources in the millihertz gravitational wave band.
We model EMRIs as a restricted three-body system, treating the smaller body as a test mass moving in the curved spacetime of the larger one. Using the Wahlquist waveform formalism, we compute the two gravitational wave polarizations, h+(t) and h×(t), from numerically solved orbital motion.
By varying orbital parameters such as eccentricity, inclination, orbital period, and mass ratio, we explore how these factors shape waveform morphology and spectral behavior. The resulting simulations generate theoretical templates for interpreting future LISA observations and identifying astrophysical sources in the millihertz gravitational wave band.
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Presenters
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Anushka Sharad
- Ohio Wesleyan University