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Published March 21, 2008 | public
Journal Article Open

Sensitivity and parameter-estimation precision for alternate LISA configurations

Abstract

We describe a simple framework to assess the LISA scientific performance (more specifically, its sensitivity and expected parameter-estimation precision for prescribed gravitational-wave signals) under the assumption of failure of one or two inter-spacecraft laser measurements (links) and of one to four intra-spacecraft laser measurements. We apply the framework to the simple case of measuring the LISA sensitivity to monochromatic circular binaries, and the LISA parameter-estimation precision for the gravitational-wave polarization angle of these systems. Compared to the six-link baseline configuration, the five-link case is characterized by a small loss in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the high-frequency section of the LISA band; the four-link case shows a reduction by a factor of sqrt{2} at low frequencies, and by up to ~2 at high frequencies. The uncertainty in the estimate of polarization, as computed in the Fisher-matrix formalism, also worsens when moving from six to five, and then to four links: this can be explained by the reduced SNR available in those configurations (except for observations shorter than three months, where five and six links do better than four even with the same SNR). In addition, we prove (for generic signals) that the SNR and Fisher matrix are invariant with respect to the choice of a basis of TDI observables; rather, they depend only on which inter-spacecraft and intra-spacecraft measurements are available.

Additional Information

Copyright © Institute of Physics and IOP Publishing Limited 2008. Received 24 October 2007, in final form 4 February 2008. Published 4 March 2008. Print publication: Issue 6 (21 March 2008). The authors are grateful to John Armstrong, Frank Estabrook, Tom Prince, Jan Harms, and to the anonymous referees for useful interactions. This work was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. MV was supported by LISA Mission Science Office and by JPL's Human Resources Development Fund. MT was supported under research task 05-BEFS05-0014. The supercomputers used in this investigation were provided by funding from the JPL Office of the Chief Information Officer.

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August 22, 2023
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October 16, 2023