Work

Stochastic gravitational wave background detection using NANOGrav 15-year data set in the context of massive gravity

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Convincing evidence of a stochastic gravitational wave (GW) background has been found by the NANOGrav Collaboration in the 15-year data set. From this signal, we can evaluate the possibility of its source being from the early Universe through the tensor perturbations induced by a massive spin-2 graviton field. We consider a time-dependent model of the minimal theory of massive gravity and find values of the graviton mass, mass cutoff time, and Hubble rate of inflation that amplify the energy spectra of primordial GWs sufficiently to reproduce the signal from the NANOGrav data within 1-3 standard deviation. However, a suppression mechanism for high-frequency modes must be introduced to conservatively obey the big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) bound. While there are regions of the parameter space that reproduce the signal, it remains a challenge to simultaneously respect the BBN and cosmic microwave background bounds without making the graviton mass cutoff time too deep into the matter-dominated era.

Source: Physical review. D/Physical review. D.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.110.063525

Authors: Chris Choi, Jacob Magallanes, Murman Gurgenidze, Tina Kahniashvili

Institutions: Carnegie Mellon University, Ilia State University, Evgeni Kharadze Georgian National Astrophysical Observatory

Language: English

Topic: Cosmology and Gravitation Theories

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green