Imaging the Milky Way with Millihertz Gravitational Waves
Modern astronomers enjoy access to all-sky images across a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum from long-wavelength radio to high-energy gamma rays. The most prominent feature in many of these images is our own Galaxy, with different features revealed in each wave band. Gravitational waves (G...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | The Astronomical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/acd3f1 |
| _version_ | 1797694749702881280 |
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| author | Kaitlyn Szekerczes Scott Noble Cecilia Chirenti James Ira Thorpe |
| author_facet | Kaitlyn Szekerczes Scott Noble Cecilia Chirenti James Ira Thorpe |
| author_sort | Kaitlyn Szekerczes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Modern astronomers enjoy access to all-sky images across a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum from long-wavelength radio to high-energy gamma rays. The most prominent feature in many of these images is our own Galaxy, with different features revealed in each wave band. Gravitational waves (GWs) have recently been added to the astronomers’ toolkit as a nonelectromagnetic messenger. To date, all identified GW sources have been extra-Galactic and transient. However, the Milky Way hosts a population of ultracompact binaries (UCBs), which radiate persistent GWs in the milliHertz band that is not observable with today’s terrestrial gravitational-wave detectors. Space-based detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna will measure this population and provide a census of their location, masses, and orbital properties. In this work, we will show how this data can be used to form a false-color image of the Galaxy that represents the intensity and frequency of the gravitational waves produced by the UCB population. Such images can be used to study the morphology of the Galaxy, identify interesting multimessenger sources through cross-matching, and for educational and outreach purposes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T03:01:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a0e2ea9c57784f58a1b4b9812cb064ab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-3881 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T03:01:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astronomical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-a0e2ea9c57784f58a1b4b9812cb064ab2023-09-03T14:43:45ZengIOP PublishingThe Astronomical Journal1538-38812023-01-0116611710.3847/1538-3881/acd3f1Imaging the Milky Way with Millihertz Gravitational WavesKaitlyn Szekerczes0Scott Noble1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3547-8306Cecilia Chirenti2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2759-1368James Ira Thorpe3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9276-4312Gravitational Astrophysics Laboratory , NASA/GSFC, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA ; james.i.thorpe@nasa.govGravitational Astrophysics Laboratory , NASA/GSFC, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA ; james.i.thorpe@nasa.govDepartment of Astronomy, University of Maryland , College Park, MD 20742-2421, USA; Astroparticle Physics Laboratory , NASA/GSFC, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology , NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; Center for Mathematics, Computation, and Cognition, UFABC , Santo André, SP 09210-170, BrazilGravitational Astrophysics Laboratory , NASA/GSFC, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA ; james.i.thorpe@nasa.govModern astronomers enjoy access to all-sky images across a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum from long-wavelength radio to high-energy gamma rays. The most prominent feature in many of these images is our own Galaxy, with different features revealed in each wave band. Gravitational waves (GWs) have recently been added to the astronomers’ toolkit as a nonelectromagnetic messenger. To date, all identified GW sources have been extra-Galactic and transient. However, the Milky Way hosts a population of ultracompact binaries (UCBs), which radiate persistent GWs in the milliHertz band that is not observable with today’s terrestrial gravitational-wave detectors. Space-based detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna will measure this population and provide a census of their location, masses, and orbital properties. In this work, we will show how this data can be used to form a false-color image of the Galaxy that represents the intensity and frequency of the gravitational waves produced by the UCB population. Such images can be used to study the morphology of the Galaxy, identify interesting multimessenger sources through cross-matching, and for educational and outreach purposes.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/acd3f1Gravitational wavesGravitational wave astronomyWhite dwarf starsCompact binary starsAstronomy image processing |
| spellingShingle | Kaitlyn Szekerczes Scott Noble Cecilia Chirenti James Ira Thorpe Imaging the Milky Way with Millihertz Gravitational Waves The Astronomical Journal Gravitational waves Gravitational wave astronomy White dwarf stars Compact binary stars Astronomy image processing |
| title | Imaging the Milky Way with Millihertz Gravitational Waves |
| title_full | Imaging the Milky Way with Millihertz Gravitational Waves |
| title_fullStr | Imaging the Milky Way with Millihertz Gravitational Waves |
| title_full_unstemmed | Imaging the Milky Way with Millihertz Gravitational Waves |
| title_short | Imaging the Milky Way with Millihertz Gravitational Waves |
| title_sort | imaging the milky way with millihertz gravitational waves |
| topic | Gravitational waves Gravitational wave astronomy White dwarf stars Compact binary stars Astronomy image processing |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/acd3f1 |
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