Bayesian bounds on parameter estimation accuracy for compact coalescing binary gravitational wave signals

作者：David Nicholson, A. Vecchio · 发表于：Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields · 年份：1998 · 被引用次数：54 · 研究领域：Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research、Geophysics and Gravity Measurements、Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques

A global network of very sensitive large-scale laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors is projected to be in operation by around the turn of the century. The network is anticipated to bring a range of new astrophysical information --- relating to neutron stars, black holes, and the very early universe --- and also new fundamental physics information, relating to the nature of gravity in the strongly nonlinear regime for example. This information is borne by gravitational waves that will typically be very much weaker than the level of intrinsic strain noise in the detectors. Sophisticated signal extraction methods will therefore be required to analyze the network's data. Here, the noisy output of a single laser interferometric detector is examined. A gravitational wave is assumed to have been detected in the data. This paper is concerned only with the subsequent problem of parameter estimation. Specifically, we investigate theoretical lower bounds on the minimum mean-square errors (MSE) associated with measuring the parameters that characterize the waveform. The pre-merger inspiral waveform generated by an orbiting system of neutron stars or black holes is ideal for this study. Monte Carlo measurements of the parameters of noisy inspiral waveforms have been performed elsewhere, and the results must now confront statistical signal processing theory. Three theoretical lower bounds on parameter estimation accuracy are considered here: the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB); the We...