Figure 1

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"Testing General Relativity with Low-Frequency, Space-Based Gravitational-Wave Detectors"

Jonathan R. Gair and Michele Vallisneri and Shane L. Larson and John G. Baker

	Abstract
1	Introduction
2	The Theory of Gravitation
	2.1	Will’s “standard model” of gravitational theories
	2.2	Alternative theories
	2.3	The black-hole paradigm
3	Space-Based Missions to Detect Gravitational Waves
	3.1	The classic LISA architecture
	3.2	LISA-like observatories
	3.3	Mid-frequency space-based observatories
4	Summary of Low-Frequency Gravitational-Wave Sources
	4.1	Massive black-hole coalescences
	4.2	Extreme-mass-ratio inspirals
	4.3	Galactic binaries
5	Gravitational-Wave Tests of Gravitational Physics
	5.1	The “classic tests” of general relativity with gravitational waves
	5.2	Tests of general relativity with phenomenological inspiral template families
	5.3	Beyond the binary inspiral
6	Tests of the Nature and Structure of Black Holes
	6.1	Current observational status
	6.2	Tests of black-hole structure using EMRIs
	6.3	Tests of black-hole structure using ringdown radiation: black-hole spectroscopy
	6.4	Prospects from gravitational-wave and other observations
7	Discussion
	Acknowledgements
	References
	Footnotes
	Figures
	Tables

Figure 1: Time-Delay Interferometry (TDI). LISA-like detectors measure GWs by transmitting laser light between three spacecraft in triangular configuration, and comparing the optical phase of the incident lasers against reference lasers on each spacecraft. To avoid extreme requirements on laser-frequency stability over the course of the many seconds required for transmission around the triangle, data analysts will generate time-delayed linear combinations of the phase comparisons; the combinations simulate nearly equal-delay optical paths around the sides of the triangle, and (much like an equal-arm Michelson interferometer) they suppress laser frequency noise. Many such combinations, including those depicted here, are possible, but altogether they comprise at most three independent gravitational-wave observables. Image reproduced by permission from [447], copyright by APS.