Exploring the Early Universe with Gravitational Waves

2015
ISBN: 978-3-319-17448-8
Verlag: Springer International Publishing

Buch, Englisch, 139 Seiten, HC runder Rücken kaschiert, Format (B × H): 160 mm x 241 mm, Gewicht: 3613 g

Reihe: Springer Theses

This work investigates gravitational wave production in the early universe and identifies potentially observable features, thereby paving the way for future gravitational wave experiments. It focuses on gravitational wave production in two scenarios: inflation in a model inspired by loop quantum gravity, and preheating at the end of inflation. In the first part, it is demonstrated that gravitational waves’ spectrum differs from the result obtained using ordinary general relativity, with potentially observable consequences that could yield insights into quantum gravity. In the second part, it is shown that the cosmic gravitational wave background is anisotropic at a level that could be detected by future experiments. Gravitational waves promise to be an rich source of information on the early universe. To them, the universe has been transparent from its earliest moments, so they can give us an unobstructed view of the Big Bang and a means to probe the fundamental laws of nature at very high energies.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Bethke, Laura Bianca

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Physik Mechanik Gravitation
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Quantenphysik Relativität, Gravitation
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Angewandte Physik Astrophysik
• Naturwissenschaften Astronomie Astrophysik
• Naturwissenschaften Astronomie Kosmologie, Urknalltheorie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction.- Chiral Tensor Power Spectrum from Quantum Gravity.- Anisotropic Gravitational Wave Background from Massless Pre-heating.- Concluding Remarks.- Appendix.