Impact of the small-scale structure on the Stochastic Background of Gravitational Waves from cosmic strings

2020/09/01 by Pierre Auclair, Pierre G. Auclair
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics #COSMIC cancer database #Classical mechanics #Cosmic string #Cosmology #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dark matter #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Gravitation #Gravitational wave #Gravitational wave background #Physics #Population #Power law #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Spectral density #Statistical physics #Statistics #String (physics) #Theoretical physics #astro-ph.CO #gr-qc #hep-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2020/11/050

arxiv created 2020/09/01 · openalex publication_date 2020/11/25 · arxiv updated 2020/11/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Numerical simulations and analytical models suggest that infinite cosmic strings produce cosmic string loops of all sizes with a given power-law. Precise estimations of the power-law exponent are still matter of debate while numerical simulations do not incorporate all the radiation and back-reaction effects expected to affect the network at small scales. Previously it has been shown, using a Boltzmann approach, that depending on the steepness of the loop production function and the gravitational back-reaction scale, a so-called Extra Population of Small Loops (EPSL) can be generated in the loop number density. We propose a framework to study the influence of this extra population of small loops on the Stochastic Background of Gravitational Waves (SBGW). We show that this extra population can have a significant signature at frequencies higher than H 0 (Γ G μ) −1 where Γ is of order 50 and H 0 is the Hubble constant. We propose a complete classification of the Gravitational Wave (GW) power spectra expected from cosmic strings into four classes, including the model of Blanco-Pillado, Olum and Shlaer and the model of Lorenz, Ringeval and Sakellariadou. Finally we show that given the uncertainties on the Polchinski-Rocha exponents, two hybrid classes of GW power spectrum can be considered giving very different predictions for the SBGW.

Citations

• Number of cosmic string loops
• Cosmic String Loops and Gravitational Radiation
• Cosmic string loops, large and small
• Gravitational radiation and the small-scale structure of cosmic strings
• Cosmological evolution of cosmic string loops
• Analytic study of small scale structure on cosmic strings
• Cosmic Strings and Their Induced Non‐Gaussianities in the Cosmic Microwave Background
• Topology of cosmic domains and strings
• Size of the smallest scales in cosmic string networks
• Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger
• Energy-conservation constraints on cosmic string loop production and distribution functions
• Planck 2015 results. XIII. Cosmological parameters