gravitational wave astronomy

Gravitational Wave Astronomy With TianQin

arXiv:2409.19665 · doi:10.1088/1361-6633/adc9be

summary

The paper outlines the scientific potential of the TianQin space‑based gravitational‑wave observatory, describing the types of compact‑object sources it can detect in the mHz band and the insights these observations will provide into cosmic structure formation.

Abstract

The opening of the gravitational wave window has significantly enhanced our capacity to explore the universe's most extreme and dynamic sector. In the mHz frequency range, a diverse range of compact objects, from the most massive black holes at the farthest reaches of the Universe to the lightest white dwarfs in our cosmic backyard, generate a complex and dynamic symphony of gravitational wave signals. Once recorded by gravitational wave detectors, these unique fingerprints have the potential to decipher the birth and growth of cosmic structures over a wide range of scales, from stellar binaries and stellar clusters to galaxies and large-scale structures. The TianQin space-borne gravitational wave mission is scheduled for launch in the 2030s, with an operational lifespan of five years. It will facilitate pivotal insights into the history of our universe. This document presents a concise overview of the detectable sources of TianQin, outlining their characteristics, the challenges they present, and the expected impact of the TianQin observatory on our understanding of them.

TianQin Gravitational Wave Whitepaper, 73 pages, 30 figures. Update to match published version

Topics & keywords

#space-based detectors#milli-hertz gravitational waves#compact binary sources#black hole mergers#white dwarf binaries#cosmologyTianQinmHz bandspace‑borne interferometercompact object binariesgravitational wave source catalogmission design

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