We study the prospect of using TianQin to detect stellar-mass binary black holes (SBBHs). We estimate the expected detection number as well as the precision of parameter estimation on SBBH inspirals, using five different population models. We note TianQin can possibly detect a few SBBH inspirals with signal to noise ratios greater than 12; lowering the threshold and combining multiple detectors can both boost the detection number. The source parameters can be recovered with good precision for most events above the detection threshold. For example, the precision of the merger time most likely occurs near 1 s, making it possible to guide the detection of the ground-based detectors, the precision of the eccentricity $e_0$ most likely occurs near ${10}^{-4}$, making it possible to distinguish the formation channels, and the precision of the mass parameter is better than ${10}^{-6}$ in general and most likely occurs near ${10}^{-7}$. We note, in particular, that for a typical merger event, the error volume is likely to be small enough to contain only the host galaxy, which could greatly help in the study of gravitational wave cosmology and relevant studies through the multimessenger observation.

• Received 23 February 2020
• Accepted 29 April 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.101.103027