Comparison of post-Newtonian templates for compact binary inspiral signals in gravitational-wave detectors

The two-body dynamics in general relativity has been solved perturbatively using the post-Newtonian (PN) approximation. The evolution of the orbital phase and the emitted gravitational radiation are now known to a rather high order up to $\mathcal{O}({v}^{8})$, $v$ being the characteristic velocity of the binary. The orbital evolution, however, cannot be specified uniquely due to the inherent freedom in the choice of parameter used in the PN expansion, as well as the method pursued in solving the relevant differential equations. The goal of this paper is to determine the (dis)agreement between different PN waveform families in the context of initial and advanced gravitational-wave detectors. The waveforms…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Award: 0603762
• CU
  Cardiff University
• SA
  Science and Technology Facilities Council

  Awards: PP/F001096/1, ST/G504284/1