2 December 2024
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a joint effort of the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA to develop and operate the first space-based observatory of gravitational waves (GWs) with sensitivity in the millihertz band. LISA will observe gravitational waves from sources across a wide range of mass scales and distances and will enable a broad scope of scientific investigations. A summary of the LISA mission, including the science case, mission architecture, instrumentation, and ground segment, can be found in the ESA Definition Study Report. Launch is planned for 2035, with science operations beginning approximately two years later. While the design of the LISA mission is fixed and the development of the hardware and ground segment is underway, work is needed to prepare for the analysis and interpretation of LISA data.
D.15 LISA Preparatory Science Program (LPS) is an element of the NASA Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) that seeks to build capabilities for interpreting LISA data and maximizing scientific return. As described in the LPS solicitation, applicants are encouraged to align their proposals with one or more “science gaps,” which are presented in this document [PDF].
These science gaps were identified through a collaborative effort of the NASA LISA Project, the NASA Physics of the Cosmos Program Office (PhysCOS), and the gravitational wave research community. A web form to collect gaps was deployed and advertised to the community via the PhysCOS, GW SIG, and other relevant community lists. A total of 26 candidate science gaps were collected through 1 November 2024. The PhysCOS chief scientists and NASA LISA Project Scientists reviewed these gaps and evaluated them against the list of eligible research areas identified in the LPS solicitation. The gaps presented in this document, which will be in effect for the 2024 LPS Program cycle, are intended to cover all submitted gaps that were compatible with the LPS Program objectives.
Please direct programmatic questions concerning D.15 LPS to Thomas Hams at thomas.hams-1@nasa.gov and technical questions to Ira Thorpe at james.i.thorpe@nasa.gov.