Taiji data challenge for exploring gravitational wave universe

The direct observation of gravitational waves (GWs) opens a new window for exploring new physics from quanta to cosmos and provides a new tool for probing the evolution of universe. GWs detection in space covers a broad spectrum ranging over more than four orders of magnitude and enables us to study rich physical and astronomical phenomena. Taiji is a proposed space-based gravitational wave (GW) detection mission that will be launched in the 2030s. Taiji will be exposed to numerous overlapping and persistent GW signals buried in the foreground and background, posing various data analysis challenges. In order to empower potential scientific discoveries, the Mock Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) data challenge and the LISA data challenge (LDC) were developed. While LDC provides a baseline framework, the first LDC needs to be updated with more realistic simulations and adjusted detector responses for Taiji’s constellation. In this paper, we review the scientific objectives and the roadmap for Taiji, as well as the technical difficulties in data analysis and the data generation strategy, and present the associated data challenges. In contrast to LDC, we utilize second-order Keplerian orbit and second-generation time delay interferometry techniques. Additionally, we employ a new model for the extreme-mass-ratio inspiral waveform and stochastic GW background spectrum, which enables us to test general relativity and measure the non-Gaussianity of curvature perturbations. Furthermore, we present a comprehensive showcase of parameter estimation using a toy dataset. This showcase not only demonstrates the scientific potential of the Taiji data challenge (TDC) but also serves to validate the effectiveness of the pipeline. As the first data challenge for Taiji, we aim to build an open ground for data analysis related to Taiji sources and sciences. More details can be found on the official website (taiji-tdc.ictp-ap.org).