Rapid reconstruction of compact binary sources using meshfree approximation

Abstract

Bayesian inference of the properties of compact binary sources detected by gravitational wave detectors is a computationally challenging task. For the twin advanced LIGO detectors operating at design sensitivity, it is estimated to take several weeks to months of wall clock time to reconstruct a single binary neutron star source using current approaches. In this context, we present a new, computationally efficient way of rapidly reconstructing the source properties using a combination of numerical linear algebra and meshfree interpolation techniques. For a canonical binary neutron star system, we show that the method proposed in this Letter is ~ 4000 times faster than traditional algorithms, at a negligible loss of accuracy of O(10^{-5}) across the sample space. This implies that the properties of such sources can be accurately measured within a few minutes of their detection in upcoming science runs, which will have significant ramifications for their prompt electromagnetic follow-up. The blueprint of this idea can be applied to Bayesian inference in other domains