Broadband gravitational-wave pulses from binary neutron stars in eccentric orbits

AbstractThe gravitational-wave radiation from binary stars in elliptical orbits peaks at times close to the periastron passage. For a stationary distribution of binary neutron stars in the Galaxy, there are several systems with large orbital eccentricities and periods in the range from several tens of minutes to several days from which gravitational-wave radiation at periastron will be observed as a broad pulse in the frequency range 1–100 mHz. The LISA space interferometer will be able to record pulsed signals from these systems at a signal-to-noise ratio $$S/N > 5\sqrt 5$$ in the frequency range ∼10−3–10−1 Hz. Algorithms for detecting such signals are discussed.