Bayesian Parameter Inference of Gravitational Wave and Electromagnetic Observations of Binary White Dwarf Systems for Future LISA Data Analysis
The upcoming space-based gravitational wave detector, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), will open up many new possibilities in the field of multi-messenger astronomy. Of particular interest is the predicted ability of LISA to detect the gravitational waves emitted by short period white dwarf binary systems. Previous studies have shown that combining simulated gravitational wave and electromagnetic information allows for higher precision estimates of the parameters characterizing white dwarf binary systems. The aim of our research is to gain a better understanding of which systems, based on parameters such as masses, orbital periods and inclination, would benefit the most from joint analysis between gravitational wave and electromagnetic data. The Bayesian analysis produces a set of posterior parameter distributions which are analyzed to quantify the improvements arising from the combination of gravitational wave and electromagnetic data. This includes relative measures of improvements of parameters like the chirp mass and inclination of the systems. The parameter distributions from the gravitational wave data and combined gravitational wave and electromagnetic data can be sorted based on different parameters and compared to aid in determining which types of binaries benefit the most from the combination of electromagnetic and gravitational wave information.