Accuracy of numerical relativity waveforms with respect to space-based gravitational wave detectors

Abstract

Abstract As with the laser interferometer gravitational-wave observatory (LIGO), the matched filtering technique will be critical to the data analysis of gravitational wave detection by space-based detectors, including LISA, Taiji and Tianqin. Waveform templates are the basis for such matched filtering techniques. To construct ready-to-use waveform templates, numerical relativity waveforms are a starting point. Therefore, the accuracy issue of numerical relativity waveforms is critically important. There are many investigations regarding this issue with respect to LIGO. But unfortunately there are few results on this issue with respect to space-based detectors. The current paper investigates this problem. Our results indicate that the existing numerical relativity waveforms are as accurate as 99% with respect to space-based detectors, including LISA, Taiji and Tianqin. Such an accuracy level is comparable to that with respect to LIGO.