Beyond the long wavelength approximation: Next-generation gravitational-wave detectors and frequency-dependent antenna patterns

The response of a gravitational-wave (GW) interferometer is spatially modulated and is described by two antenna patterns, one for each polarization state of the waves. The antenna patterns are derived from the shape and size of the interferometer, usually under the assumption that the interferometer size is much smaller than the wavelength of the gravitational waves (long wavelength approximation, LWA). This assumption is well justified as long as the frequency of the gravitational waves is well below the free spectral range (FSR) of the Fabry-Perot cavities in the interferometer arms as it happens for current interferometers (FSR=37.5  kHz for the LIGO interferometers and FSR =50  kHz for Virgo and KAGRA). However, the LWA can no longer be taken for granted with third-generation instruments (Einstein Telescope, Cosmic Explorer and LISA) because of their longer arms. This has been known for some time, and previous analyses have mostly been carried out in the frequency domain. In this paper, we explore the behavior of the frequency-dependent antenna patterns in the time domain and in the time-frequency domain, with specific reference to the searches of short GW transients. We analyze the profound changes in the concept of Dominant Polarization Frame, which must be generalized in a nontrivial way, we show that the conventional likelihood-based analysis of coherence in different interferometers can no longer be applied as in current analysis pipelines, and that methods based on the null stream in triangular (60°) interferometers no longer work. Overall, this paper establishes methods and tools that can be used to overcome these difficulties in the unmodeled analysis of short GW transients.