Uncovering gravitational-wave backgrounds from noises of unknown shape with LISA

Understand

Detecting stochastic background radiation of cosmological origin is an exciting possibility for current and future gravitational-wave (GW) detectors.

• However, distinguishing it from other stochastic processes, such as instrumental noise and astrophysical backgrounds, is challenging.
• It is even more delicate for the space-based GW observatory LISA since it cannot correlate its observations with other detectors, unlike today's terrestrial network.
• Nonetheless, with multiple measurements across the constellation and high accuracy in the noise level, detection is still possible.