This proposal is focused on developing the experimental-relativity science case for the laser interferometer space antenna (lisa). We propose to explore tests of general relativity with lisa…

This federal contract award is a $814,912 grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) for research related to the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) gravitational wave observatory. The grant will fund the development of tools and models to test general relativity and search for modified gravity anomalies using LISA data, including exploring how the strength of these tests varies with different astrophysical population models and sources. The research aims to maximize the scientific value of LISA data in understanding the extreme gravity universe. This grant does not have a set-aside designation and was awarded on October 1, 2018 with a completion date of September 30, 2021. As a leading research university, JHU has extensive experience supporting NASA's scientific mission through prime and subcontracts for biomedical research, engineering, and data analysis.

This proposal is focused on developing the experimental-relativity science case for the laser interferometer space antenna (lisa). We propose to explore tests of general relativity with lisa gravitational wave data using different astrophysical population models and astrophysical sources to forecast what will be possible in the ERA of space-based detectors. We will create and develop tools to carry out consistency checks of einstein's theory and to search for modified gravity anomalies with lisa data. We will explore how the strength of these tests varies with population models and with astrophysical sources, mapping out the theory space that will be constrainable with lisa. We will also explore the strength of combining lisa data with ground-based gravitational wave observations to carry out tests of einstein's theory with multi-wavelength observations. The proposed work is of direct relevance to NASA's strategic mission to better understand the universe through observation, and to NASA's mission of discovery and knowledge. The region of the universe where gravity is very strong and dynamically changing (the extreme gravity universe) is one of the last unturned stones. This is in part because extreme gravity objects, like black holes, are difficult to resolve due to their size and distance from earth. NASA's investment in space-borne gravitational wave astrophysics as a partner to ESA is aimed at resolving such objects and, for the first time, exploring the extreme gravity universe in detail. The focus of this proposal is to aid in this endeavor by developing the understanding needed to extract the most information about theoretical physics and modified gravity constraints from lisa data.