Parameter-space correlations of the optimal statistic for continuous gravitational-wave detection

The phase parameters of matched-filtering searches for continuous gravitational-wave signals are sky position, frequency, and frequency time-derivatives. The space of these parameters features strong global correlations in the optimal detection statistic. For observation times smaller than 1 yr, the orbital motion of the Earth leads to a family of global-correlation equations which describes the “global maximum structure” of the detection statistic. The solution to each of these equations is a different hypersurface in parameter space. The expected detection statistic is maximal at the intersection of these hypersurfaces. The global maximum structure of the detection statistic from stationary instrumental-noise artifacts is also described by the global-correlation equations. This permits the construction of a veto method which excludes false candidate events