Function: merger_dist()

void merger_dist(double *deff, double *z, double *Vc, double m1_z,
                 double m2_z, double snr, double S_h[], int npoint,
                 double srate,double h100)

This function computes the effective distance to which a binary merger with redshifted masses m1_z and m2_z can be seen with the noise spectrum S_h[].

It uses the energy spectrum

$${dE_{\rm gw}\over df} = {\epsilon M\over f_{\rm qnr} - f_{\rm merge}}$$ (6.34.158)

to describe the merger, using parameters $\epsilon = 0.1$, $f_{\rm qnr} = 0.13/M$, $f_{\rm merge} = 0.02/M$ (as in reference [13]). As such it is, strictly speaking, only applicable to binary black hole mergers. Its operation is otherwise identical to inspiral_dist().

The arguments to the function are:

deff: Output. The effective distance in megaparsecs.

z: Output. Redshift corresponding that effective distance.

Vc: Output. Comoving volume at the redshift in cubic megaparsecs.

m1_z: Input. Redshifted mass one, $(1+z)m_1$.

m2_z: Input. Redshifted mass two, $(1+z)m_2$.

snr: Input. The signal-to-noise ratio at which the effective distance is deff.

S_h: Input. The spectral density of noise in Hz$^{-1}$.

npoint: Input. The number of data points in S_h.

srate: Input. The sampling rate used to construct the noise spectrum, Hz.

h100: Input. The Hubble constant in units of 100 km/sec/Mpc.

Author: Scott Hughes, hughes@tapir.caltech.edu