Speaker: Massimo Vaglio
Black Hole Ringdown Modeling and Waveform Accuracy for LISA Observations
Gravitational wave signals from coalescing binary black holes culminate in the ringdown phase, where the newly formed, perturbed black hole emits gravitational radiation as it settles into a stable configuration. This radiation is well described by a superposition of quasi-normal modes (QNMs), each associated with a characteristic complex frequency. Accurate modeling of the ringdown is crucial for precise measurement of binary parameters, offering valuable insights into both astrophysical processes and fundamental physics. As next-generation space-based detectors like LISA will detect black hole mergers with high signal-to-noise ratios, even small modeling inaccuracies could introduce significant biases, potentially limiting the scientific return. In this talk, I will explore the impact of limiting the number of QNMs included in ringdown waveform for massive black hole binaries observed by LISA. I will discuss the mode hierarchy, providing an estimate for the minimum number of QNMs which is required to ensure unbiased parameter estimation across a wide region of the relevant parameter space.