Effect of data gaps on the detectability and parameter estimation of massive black hole binaries with LISA

Understand

Massive black hole binaries are expected to provide the strongest gravitational wave signals for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), a space mission targeting $\sim\,$mHz frequencies.

• As a result of the technological challenges inherent in the mission's design, implementation and long duration (4 yr nominal), the LISA data stream is expected to be affected by relatively long gaps where no data is collected (either because of hardware failures, or because of scheduled maintenance operations, such as re-pointing of the antennas toward the Earth).
• Depending on their mass, massive black hole binary signals may range from quasi-transient to very long lived, and it is unclear how data gaps will impact detection and parameter estimation of these sources.
• Here, we will explore this question by using state-of-the-art astrophysical models for the population of massive black hole binaries.