Detecting Planets around Compact Binaries with Gravitational Wave Detectors in Space

Authors: Naoki Seto

(Submitted on 22 Feb 2008)

Abstract: I propose a method to detect planets around compact binaries that are strong sources of gravitational radiation. This approach is to measure gravitational-wave phase modulations induced by the planets, and its prospect is studied with a Fisher matrix analysis.

I find that, using the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), planets can be searched for around ~3000 Galactic double white dwarfs with detection limit ~4 M_J (M_J~ 2×10^{30}g: the Jupiter mass).

With its follow-on missions, planets with mass ~1 M_J might be detected around double neutron stars even at cosmological distances z~1. In this manner, gravitational wave observation has potential to make interesting contributions to extra-solar planetary science.

Comments: 4 pages, to appear in ApJL

Subjects: Astrophysics (astro-ph); General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)

Cite as: arXiv:0802.3411v1 [astro-ph]

http://arxiv.org/abs/0802.3411