Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, LISA Options

[ljk4-1]

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, abstract
gr-qc/0602033

From: Graham Woan [view email]

Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 18:04:22 GMT (57kb)

A principal component analysis for LISA -- the TDI connection

Authors: J. D. Romano, G. Woan

Comments: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table

Data from the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is expected to be dominated by frequency noise from its lasers. However the noise from any one laser appears more than once in the data and there are combinations of the data that are insensitive to this noise. These combinations, called time delay interferometry (TDI) variables, have received careful study, and point the way to how LISA data analysis may be performed. Here we approach the problem from the direction of statistical inference, and show that these variables are a direct consequence of a principal component analysis of the problem. We present a formal analysis for a simple LISA model and show that there are eigenvectors of the noise covariance matrix that do not depend on laser frequency noise. Importantly, these orthogonal basis vectors correspond to linear combinations of TDI variables. As a result we show that the likelihood function for source parameters using LISA data can be based on TDI combinations of the data without loss of information.

http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0602033

[ljk4-1]

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, abstract
gr-qc/0602019

From: Lee Samuel Finn [view email]

Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2006 22:37:25 GMT (7kb)

The Testbed for LISA Analysis Project

Authors: Lee Samuel Finn, Matthew J. Benacquista, Shane L. Larson, Louis J. Rubbo

Comments: 5 pages, no figures

Report-no: T06003

The Testbed for LISA Analysis (TLA) Project aims to facilitate the development, validation and comparison of different methods for LISA science data analysis, by the broad LISA Science Community, to meet the special challenges that LISA poses. It includes a well-defined Simulated LISA Data Product (SLDP), which provides a clean interface between the communities that have developed to model and to analyze the LISA science data stream; a web-based clearinghouse (at <this http URL>) providing SLDP software libraries, relevant software, papers and other documentation, and a repository for SLDP data sets; a set of mailing lists for communication between and among LISA simulators and LISA science analysts; a problem tracking system for SLDP support; and a program of workshops to allow the burgeoning LISA science community to further refine the SLDP definition, define specific LISA science analysis challenges, and report their results. This note describes the TLA Project, the resources it provides immediately, its future plans, and invites the participation of the broader community in the furtherance of its goals.

http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0602019

[ljk4-1]

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, abstract
gr-qc/0601096

From: J. Alberto Lobo [view email]

Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 15:45:26 GMT (21kb)

Theoretical foundations for on-ground tests of LISA PathFinder thermal diagnostics

Authors: Alberto Lobo, Miquel Nofrarias, Juan Ramos-Castro, Josep Sanjuan

Comments: 11 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX2e (compile with pdflatex), sumbitted to CQG

This paper reports on the methods and results of a theoretical analysis to design an insulator which must provide a thermally quiet environment to test on ground delicate temperature sensors and associated electronics. These will fly on board ESA's LISA PathFinder (LPF) mission as part of the thermal diagnostics subsystem of the LISA Test-flight Package (LTP). We evaluate the heat transfer function (in frequency domain) of a central body of good thermal conductivity surrounded by a layer of a very poorly conducting substrate. This is applied to assess the materials and dimensions necessary to meet temperature stability requirements in the metal core, where sensors will be implanted for test. The analysis is extended to evaluate the losses caused by heat leakage through connecting wires, linking the sensors with the electronics in a box outside the insulator. The results indicate that, in spite of the very demanding stability conditions, a sphere of outer diameter of the order one metre is sufficient.

http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0601096

[ljk4-1]

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, abstract
gr-qc/0601036

From: Neil J. Cornish [view email]

Date (v1): Tue, 10 Jan 2006 19:06:46 GMT (223kb)
Date (revised v2): Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:20:17 GMT (221kb)

Darwin Meets Einstein: LISA Data Analysis Using Genetic Algorithms

Authors: Jeff Crowder, Neil J. Cornish, Lucas Reddinger

Comments: 8 pages, 12 figures

This work presents the first application of the method of Genetic Algorithms (GAs) to data analysis for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). In the low frequency regime of the LISA band there are expected to be tens of thousands galactic binary systems that will be emitting gravitational waves detectable by LISA. The challenge of parameter extraction of such a large number of sources in the LISA data stream requires a search method that can efficiently explore the large parameter spaces involved. As signals of many of these sources will overlap, a global search method is desired. GAs represent such a global search method for parameter extraction of multiple overlapping sources in the LISA data stream. We find that GAs are able to correctly extract source parameters for overlapping sources. Several optimizations of a basic GA are presented with results derived from applications of the GA searches to simulated LISA data.

http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0601036