Identifying galactic binary systems of neutron stars and black holes with LISA

Abstract

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will detect $\sim 100$ galactic binary systems comprised of black holes and neutron stars. Distinguishing these binaries from the $\sim 10^4$ double white dwarfs detectable by LISA will be challenging. In the absence of any other information, the inferred component masses can be used to classify the nature of these objects. However, short-period galactic binaries $\sim 10^7$--$10^3\,\mathrm{yr}$ from coalescence produce a quasi-monochromatic signal which carries little information about their masses. We generate synthetic LISA data sets containing gravitational waves from Galactic binary black holes, binary neutron stars and black hole-neutron stars drawn from an astrophysically realistic population produced through the isolated binary evolution channel. We use a Bayesian inference pipeline to explore the accuracy with which the component masses can be measured. LISA will be able to infer component masses for $\approx 10\% - 50\%$ of the detected systems by measuring the orbital eccentricity, periapse precession frequency, and gravitational-wave induced frequency derivative. Typical fractional mass errors are $\approx 1\%$--$100\%$ (depending on the specific value of the source parameters) enabling the classification of the constituent objects as black holes or neutron stars. For these binaries, LISA will also be able to determine their 3-dimensional position in the Milky Way. LISA detections of these double compact objects will provide new insights to their astrophysical formation processes, the Galactic population, and the Milky Way's star formation history. However, for a significant fraction of the LISA-detected binaries the nature of their constituent objects may remain unclear.