# Cyclostationary signals in LISA: a practical application to Milky Way satellites

**Authors:** Federico Pozzoli, Riccardo Buscicchio, Antoine Klein, Valeriya Korol, Alberto Sesana, Francesco Haardt  
**arXiv:** [2410.08274](https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.08274)  
**Date:** 2024-10-10  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/2410.08274v1/

## Key points

- Study focuses on detecting gravitational waves (GWs) from Galactic double white dwarf binaries (DWDs) using LISA
- Unresolved nature of DWD binaries leads to stochastic noise known as Galactic foreground
- Research explores cyclostationary processes exhibited by Galactic foreground and satellite SGWB due to anisotropy and LISA's motion
- Frequency-based method developed to assess LISA's ability to detect signals from Milky Way satellites
- Constraints placed on candidate foregrounds through analysis of mock data and realistic data from DWD population
- Findings emphasize importance of understanding interplay between astrophysical spectra and LISA's sensitivity in detecting SGWBs from satellites
- Incorporating astrophysically motivated prior on satellite positions enhances detectability, especially challenging with Galactic foreground present
- Investigations reveal potential observability of objects similar to Large Magellanic Cloud by LISA

## Summary

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The study by Federico Pozzoli, Riccardo Buscicchio, Antoine Klein, Valeriya Korol, Alberto Sesana, and Francesco Haardt focuses on detecting gravitational waves (GWs) from Galactic double white dwarf binaries (DWDs) using the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). The unresolved nature of most DWD binaries leads to a stochastic noise known as the Galactic foreground. Additionally, the contribution of unresolved systems in the Milky Way's satellites adds complexity to the analysis. The research delves into cyclostationary processes exhibited by both the Galactic foreground and satellite SGWB due to their anisotropy and LISA's annual motion. A frequency-based method is developed to assess LISA's ability to detect these signals from promising Milky Way satellites. Constraints are placed on candidate foregrounds by analyzing mock data based on an astrophysical SGWB spectrum and realistic data from a DWD population generated through binary population synthesis. The study successfully reconstructs the sky distribution and spectrum of these signals despite noise uncertainties. The findings underscore the importance of understanding the interplay between astrophysical spectra and LISA's sensitivity in detecting SGWBs from satellites. Incorporating an astrophysically motivated prior on satellite positions enhances detectability, particularly challenging in the presence of the Galactic foreground. Furthermore, investigations into observing hypothetical satellites behind the Galactic disk reveal that objects akin to Large Magellanic Cloud could be observable by LISA. This comprehensive 19-page analysis with 13 figures and 2 tables sheds light on novel approaches for studying GW signals from DWD binaries and highlights potential avenues for future observations with LISA.