Probing the early universe with inflationary gravitational waves
| dc.creator | Boyle, Latham A. | |
| dc.creator | Steinhardt, Paul J. | |
| dc.date | 2005-12-01 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-07T11:25:01Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-07-07T11:25:01Z | |
| dc.description | Near comoving wavenumber k, the gravitational-wave background (GWB) from inflation carries information about the physical conditions near two moments in cosmic history: the moment when k ``left the horizon'' during inflation, and the moment when it ``re-entered the horizon'' after inflation. We investigate the extent to which this information can be extracted if the GWB is measured by a combination of cosmic-microwave-background (CMB) polarization experiments on large scales and space-based laser-interferometer experiments on small scales. To disentangle this information, we derive a new gravitational-wave transfer function that incorporates a number of physical effects that were treated less accurately, less generally, or were missing altogether in previous treatments. In particular, it incorporates: (i) dark energy with time-varying equation-of-state w(z); (ii) tensor anisotropic stress due to free-streaming relativistic particles in the early universe; and (iii) a variety of physical effects that cause deviations from the standard equation-of-state w=1/3 during the radiation era. Based on this transfer function, we consider the degree to which the GWB can be used to test inflation and to probe the ``primordial dark age'' between the end of inflation and the electroweak phase transition. | |
| dc.description | 12 pages, 3 figures | |
| dc.identifier | https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0512014 | |
| dc.identifier | http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0512014 | |
| dc.identifier | Phys.Rev.D77:063504,2008 | |
| dc.identifier | doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.77.063504 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/195384 | |
| dc.subject | Astrophysics | |
| dc.subject | General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology | |
| dc.subject | High Energy Physics - Phenomenology | |
| dc.subject | High Energy Physics - Theory | |
| dc.title | Probing the early universe with inflationary gravitational waves | |
| dc.type | text |