Bayesian Distance Prior in LISA Gravitational Wave Data Analysis

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission is expected to detect many UltraCompact Binaries (UCBs) in the Milky Way galaxy. In order to link these observations to existing models of star formation and evolution, the spatial distribution of UCBs is an important target for LISA data analysis. In this work GBMCMC, an existing code that finds UCBs in LISA data, is extended to incorporate a Bayesian prior on the distance to UCBs from Earth using a simple model of the Milky Way. The effectiveness of this approach is analyzed using simulated data from the LISA Data Challenge.

Advisors: Marilena Loverde (Chair), Joey Shapiro Key, Masha Baryakhtar, Tyson Littenberg