Fast post-adiabatic waveforms in the time domain: Applications to compact binary coalescences in LIGO and Virgo

Abstract

We present a computationally efficient (time-domain) multipolar waveform model for quasicircular spin-aligned compact binary coalescences. The model combines the advantages of the numerical-relativity informed, effective-one-body (EOB) family of models with a post-adiabatic solution of the equations of motion for the inspiral part of the two-body dynamics. We benchmark this model against other state-of-the-art waveforms in terms of efficiency and accuracy. We find a speed-up of one to two orders of magnitude compared to the underlying time-domain eob model for the total mass range $2--100\text{ }\text{ }{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$. More specifically, for a low total-mass system, such as a binary neutron star with equal masses of $1.4\text{ }\text{ }{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$, like GW170817, the computational speedup is around 100 times; for an event with total mass $\ensuremath{\sim}40\text{ }\text{ }{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ and mass ratio $\ensuremath{\sim}3$, like GW190412, the speedup is by a factor of $\ensuremath{\sim}20$, while for a binary system of comparable masses and total mass of $\ensuremath{\sim}70\text{ }\text{ }{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$, like GW150914, it is by a factor of $\ensuremath{\sim}10$. We demonstrate that the new model is extremely faithful to the underlying eob model with unfaithfulness less than 0.01% across the entire applicable region of parameter space. Finally, we present successful applications of this new waveform model to parameter estimation studies and tests of general relativity.