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arXiv · 2409.04020

Gravitational wave signatures and detectability of the mass transfer effect in compact binaries

Zi-Han Zhang·Tan Liu·Shenghua Yu·Zong-Kuan Guo
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Abstract

The mass transfer process is prevalent during the inspiral phase of compact binary systems. Our study focuses on systems comprising low-mass white dwarfs, particularly in neutron star-white dwarf binaries and double white dwarf binaries, where a stable mass transfer process occurs at low frequencies. By analyzing the evolution of gravitational wave frequencies in the presence of mass transfer within quasi-circular orbits, we derive an analytical expression for the time-dependent frequency across different frequency bands and the waveforms emitted by compact binaries. Considering gravitational waves emitted by compact binaries in the $1\thicksim10$ mHz band, based on the Fisher analysis, we find that the mass transfer rate can be measured as accurately as $10^{-7} M_\odot/\text{year}$ by space-based gravitational-wave detectors with a signal-to-noise ratio of the order of $10^3$. Including the mass transfer effect in the waveforms provides a new possibility to measure the individual masses of double white dwarf binaries. The relative error of measured white dwarf masses can be down to the order of $0.01$.

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Zi-Han Zhang, Tan Liu, Shenghua Yu, Zong-Kuan Guo. 2025-02-27. Gravitational wave signatures and detectability of the mass transfer effect in compact binaries. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.111.043049

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