PhysRevLett.112.041301.pdf (661.18 kB)
Gravitational waves from the sound of a first order phase transition
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 18:05 authored by Mark HindmarshMark Hindmarsh, Stephan HuberStephan Huber, Kari Rummukainen, David J WeirWe report on the first three-dimensional numerical simulations of first-order phase transitions in the early Universe to include the cosmic fluid as well as the scalar field order parameter. We calculate the gravitational wave (GW) spectrum resulting from the nucleation, expansion, and collision of bubbles of the low-temperature phase, for phase transition strengths and bubble wall velocities covering many cases of interest. We find that the compression waves in the fluid continue to be a source of GWs long after the bubbles have merged, a new effect not taken properly into account in previous modeling of the GW source. For a wide range of models, the main source of the GWs produced by a phase transition is, therefore, the sound the bubbles make.
Funding
Particle Physics Theory at Royal Holloway and Sussex; G0742; STFC-SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL; ST/J000477/1
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Physical Review Letters (PRL)ISSN
0031-9007Publisher
American Physical SocietyExternal DOI
Issue
4Volume
112Page range
041301Department affiliated with
- Physics and Astronomy Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes