Gravitational Waves from Particles Produced from Bubble Collisions in First-Order Phase Transitions

Summary

Gravitational waves from first-order phase transitions can be produced by particles generated from bubble collisions. This new source of gravitational waves can qualitatively modify the overall signal from such phase transitions, creating a distinct shift in the spectral slope at low frequencies.

Highlights

• Gravitational waves can be produced by particles generated from bubble collisions in first-order phase transitions.
• This new source of gravitational waves can modify the overall signal from phase transitions.
• The signal from particles can dominate at low frequencies, creating a distinct shift in the spectral slope.
• The amplitude of the signal from particles is smaller than the standard signal from scalar fields.
• The signal from particles can be observable by future gravitational wave detectors.
• The transition from f to f^3 scaling can be a distinguishing feature of such phase transitions.
• The signal from particles can provide a new probe of the early universe.

Key Insights

• The production of particles from bubble collisions can be an efficient process, transferring a significant fraction of the energy released during the phase transition into the particles.
• The quadrupole anisotropy in the particle distribution can generate gravitational waves, which can be observable by future detectors.
• The signal from particles can be smaller in amplitude than the standard signal from scalar fields, but can dominate at low frequencies due to its longer duration.
• The transition from f to f^3 scaling can be a distinguishing feature of such phase transitions, providing a new probe of the early universe.
• The calculation of the gravitational wave spectrum from particles requires a semi-analytical approach, taking into account the anisotropy of the particle distribution.
• The signal from particles can be affected by various factors, such as the coupling between the particles and the scalar field, and the duration of the phase transition.
• The observation of gravitational waves from particles can provide new insights into the early universe, and can be used to constrain models of phase transitions.

Mindmap

Citation

Inomata, K., Kamionkowski, M., Kasai, K., & Shakya, B. (2024). Gravitational Waves from Particles Produced from Bubble Collisions in First-Order Phase Transitions (Version 1). arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/ARXIV.2412.17912