A semianalytic Fisher matrix for precessing binaries with a single significant spin
Abstract
Gravitational waves from a binary with a single dynamically significant spin, notably including precessing black hole-neutron star (BH-NS) binaries, let us constrain that binary's properties: the two masses and the dominant black hole spin. Based on a straightforward fourier transform of $h(t)$ enabled by the corotating frame, we show the Fisher matrix for precessing binaries can be well-approximated by an extremely simple semianalytic approximation. This approximation can be easily understood as a weighted average of independent information channels, each associated with one gravitational wave harmonic. Generalizing previous studies of nonprecessing binaries to include critical symmetry-breaking precession effects required to understand plausible astrophysical sources, our ansatz can be applied to address how well gravitational wave measurements can address a wide range of astrophysical and fundamental questions. Our approach provides a simple method to assess what parameters gravitational wave detectors can measure, how well, and why.
- Publication:
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arXiv e-prints
- Pub Date:
- September 2015
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.1509.06581
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1509.06581
- Bibcode:
- 2015arXiv150906581O
- Keywords:
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- General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
- E-Print:
- 5 pages, to be submitted to PRL