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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Constraining axion inflation with gravitational waves from preheating

We study gravitational wave production from gauge preheating in a variety of inflationary models, detailing its dependence on both the energy scale and the shape of the potential. In this work, we show that preheating into Abelian gauge fields generically leads to a large gravitational wave background that contributes significantly to the effective number of relativistic degrees of freedom in the early universe, $N_{\text{eff}}$. We demonstrate that the efficiency of gravitational wave production is correlated with the tensor-to-scalar ratio, $\textit{r}$. In particular, we show that efficient gauge preheating in models whose tensor-to-scalar ratio would be detected by next-generation cosmic microwave background experiments ($\textit{r}$ ≳ 10 –3 ) will be either detected through its contribution to $N_{\text{eff}}$ or ruled out. Furthermore, we show that bounds on $N_{\text{eff}}$ provide the most sensitive probe of the possible axial coupling of the inflaton to gauge fields regardless of the potential.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Di-Higgs production in the 4b channel and gravitational wave complementarity

We present a complementarity study of gravitational waves and double Higgs production in the 4 b channel, exploring the gauge singlet scalar extension of the SM. This new physics extension serves as a simplified benchmark model that realizes a strongly first-order electroweak phase transition necessary to generate the observed baryon asymmetry in the universe. In calculating the signal-to-noise ratio of the gravitational waves, we incorporate the effect of the recently discovered significant suppression of the gravitational wave signals from sound waves for strong phase transitions, make sure that supercooled phase transitions do complete and adopt a bubble wall velocity that is consistent with a successful electroweak baryogenesis by solving the velocity profiles of the plasma. The high-luminosity LHC sensitivity to the singlet scalar extension of the SM is estimated using a shape-based analysis of the invariant 4 b mass distribution. We find that while the region of parameter space giving detectable gravitational waves is shrunk due to the new gravitational wave simulations, the qualitative complementary role of gravitational waves and collider searches remain unchanged.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

pygwb: A Python-based Library for Gravitational-wave Background Searches

The collection of gravitational waves (GWs) that are either too weak or too numerous to be individually resolved is commonly referred to as the gravitational-wave background (GWB). A confident detection and model-driven characterization of such a signal will provide invaluable information about the evolution of the universe and the population of GW sources within it. We present a new, user-friendly, Python-based package for GW data analysis to search for an isotropic GWB in ground-based interferometer data. We employ cross-correlation spectra of GW detector pairs to construct an optimal estimator of the Gaussian and isotropic GWB, and Bayesian parameter estimation to constrain GWB models. The modularity and clarity of the code allow for both a shallow learning curve and flexibility in adjusting the analysis to one’s own needs. We describe the individual modules that make up pygwb, following the traditional steps of stochastic analyses carried out within the LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA Collaboration. We then describe the built-in pipeline that combines the different modules and validate it with both mock data and real GW data from the O3 Advanced LIGO and Virgo observing run. We successfully recover all mock data injections and reproduce published results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Stochastic gravitational wave background from PBH-ABH mergers *

Abstract The measurement of gravitational waves produced by binary black-hole mergers at the Advanced LIGO has encouraged extensive studies on the stochastic gravitational wave background. Recent studies have focused on gravitational wave sources made of the same species, such as mergers from binary primordial black holes or those from binary astrophysical black holes. In this paper, we study a new possibility – the stochastic gravitational wave background produced by mergers of one primordial black hole and one astrophysical black hole. Such systems are necessarily present if primordial black holes exist. We study the isotropic gravitational wave background produced through the history of the universe. We find it is very challenging to detect such a signal. We also demonstrate that it is improper to treat the gravitational waves produced by such binaries in the Milky Way as a directional stochastic background due to a very low binary formation rate.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measuring the properties of f - mode oscillations of a protoneutron star by third-generation gravitational-wave detectors

Core-collapse supernovae are among the astrophysical sources of gravitational waves that could be detected by third-generation gravitational-wave detectors. Here, we analyze the gravitational-wave strain signals from two- and three-dimensional simulations of core-collapse supernovae generated using the code FORNAX. A subset of the two-dimensional simulations has non-zero core rotation at the core bounce. A dominant source of time changing quadrupole moment is the l = 2 fundamental mode (f- mode) oscillation of the proto-neutron star. From the time-frequency spectrogram of the gravitational-wave strain we see that, starting ~ 400 ms after the core bounce, most of the power lies within a narrow track that represents the frequency evolution of the f-mode oscillations. The f-mode frequencies obtained from linear perturbation analysis of the angle averaged profile of the protoneutron star corroborate what we observe in the spectrograms of the gravitational wave signal. We explore the measurability of the f-mode frequency evolution of protoneutron star for a supernova signal observed in the third-generation gravitational-wave detectors. Measurement of the frequency evolution can reveal information about the masses, radii, and densities of the proto-neutron stars. We find that if the third generation detectors observe a supernova within 10 kpc, we can measure these frequencies to within ~90% accuracy. Here, we can also measure the energy emitted in the fundamental f-mode using the spectrogram data of the strain signal. We find that the energy in the f-mode can be measured to within 20% error for signals observed by Cosmic Explorer using simulations with successful explosion, assuming source distances within 10 kpc.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Observational prospects of self-interacting scalar superradiance with next-generation gravitational-wave detectors

Abstract Current- and next-generation gravitational-wave observatories may reveal new, ultralight bosons. Through the superradiance process, these theoretical particle candidates can form clouds around astrophysical black holes and result in detectable gravitational-wave radiation. In the absence of detections, constraints—contingent on astrophysical assumptions—have been derived using LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA data on boson masses. However, the searches for ultralight scalars to date have not adequately considered self-interactions between particles. Self-interactions that significantly alter superradiance dynamics are generically present for many scalar models, including axion-like dark matter candidates and string axions. We implement the most complete treatment of particle self-interactions available to determine the gravitational-wave signatures expected from superradiant scalar clouds and revisit the constraints obtained in a past gravitational-wave search targeting the black hole in Cygnus X-1. We also project the reach of next-generation gravitational-wave observatories to scalar particle parameter space in the mass-coupling plane. We find that while proposed observatories have insufficient reach to self-interactions that can halt black hole spin-down, next-generation observatories are essential for expanding the search beyond gravitational parameter space and can reach a mass and interaction scale of ∼ 10 − 13 –10 −12 eV / c 2 and ≳ 10 17 GeV, respectively.

Collaviti, Spencer (ORCID:0009000372808236)↗
DOE OSTI2023

Core collapse supernova gravitational wave emission for progenitors of 9.6, 15, and 25 M ⊙

Here, we present gravitational wave emission predictions based on three core collapse supernova simulations corresponding to three different progenitor masses. The masses span a large range, between 9.6 and 25M ⊙ , are all initially nonrotating, and are of two metallicities: zero and solar. We compute both the temporal evolution of the gravitational wave strains for both the plus and the cross polarizations, as well as their spectral decomposition and characteristic strains. The temporal evolution of our zero metallicity 9.6M ⊙ progenitor model is distinct from the temporal evolution of our solar metallicity 15M ⊙ progenitor model and our zero metallicity 25M ⊙ progenitor model. In the former case, the high-frequency gravitational wave emission is largely confined to a brief time period ~75 ms after bounce, whereas in the latter two cases high-frequency emission does not commence until ~125 ms after bounce or later. The excitation mechanisms of the high-frequency emission in all three cases correspond to proto-neutron star convection and accretion onto the proto-neutron star from the convective gain layer above it, with the former playing the dominant role for most of the evolution. The low-frequency emission in all three models exhibits very similar behavior. At frequencies below ~250 Hz, gravitational waves are emitted by neutrino-driven convection and the standing accretion shock instability (SASI). This emission extends throughout the simulations when a gain region is present. In all three models, explosion is observed at ~125, ~500, and ~250 ms after bounce in the 9.6, 15, and 25M ⊙ progenitor models, respectively. At these times, the low-frequency gravitational wave emission is joined by very low-frequency emission, below ~10 Hz. These very low-frequency episodes are the result of explosion and begin at the above designated explosion times in each of our models. Our characteristic strains tell us that, in principle, all three gravitational wave signals would be detectable by current-generation detectors for a supernova at a distance of 10 kpc. However, our 9.6M ⊙ progenitor model is a significantly weaker source of gravitational waves, with strain amplitudes approximately 5–10 times less than in our other two models. The characteristic strain for this model tells us that such a supernova would be detectable only within a much more narrow frequency range around the maximum sensitivity of today’s detectors. Finally, in our 9.6M ⊙ progenitor model, we see very high-frequency gravitational radiation, extending up to ~2000 Hz. This feature results from the interaction of shock- and deleptonization-induced convection with perturbations introduced in the progenitor by nuclear burning during core collapse. While unique to the 9.6M ⊙ progenitor model analyzed here, this very high-frequency emission may, in fact, be a generic feature of the predictions for the gravitational wave emission from all core collapse supernova models when simulations are performed with three-dimensional progenitors.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Snowmass2021 Cosmic Frontier White Paper: Future Gravitational-Wave Detector Facilities

The next generation of gravitational-wave observatories can explore a wide range of fundamental physics phenomena throughout the history of the universe. These phenomena include access to the universe's binary black hole population throughout cosmic time, to the universe's expansion history independent of the cosmic distance ladders, to stochastic gravitational-waves from early-universe phase transitions, to warped space-time in the strong-field and high-velocity limit, to the equation of state of nuclear matter at neutron star and post-merger densities, and to dark matter candidates through their interaction in extreme astrophysical environments or their interaction with the detector itself. We present the gravitational-wave detector concepts than can drive the future of gravitational-wave astrophysics. We summarize the status of the necessary technology, and the research needed to be able to build these observatories in the 2030s.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Gravitational wave detection with plasma haloscopes

Searches for high frequency gravitational waves using cavities based on the Gertsenshtein effect were recently proposed, building off existing axion dark matter experiments. In particular, the sensitivity of axion dark matter experiments using metamaterial plasmas (tunable plasma haloscopes) to gravitational waves has not been explored in detail. Here we perform a full analysis of gravitational wave detection in plasma haloscopes, showing that the baseline design of experiments such as ALPHA is several orders of magnitude less sensitive than previously thought. We show how simple changes to the experiment can recover that sensitivity and lead to a powerful gravitational wave detector in the 𝒪⁡(10–50) GHz frequency range.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Characterizing gravitational wave detector networks: from A # to cosmic explorer

Gravitational-wave observations by the laser interferometer gravitational-wave observatory (LIGO) and Virgo have provided us a new tool to explore the Universe on all scales from nuclear physics to the cosmos and have the massive potential to further impact fundamental physics, astrophysics, and cosmology for decades to come. In this paper we have studied the science capabilities of a network of LIGO detectors when they reach their best possible sensitivity, called A # , given the infrastructure in which they exist and a new generation of observatories that are factor of 10 to 100 times more sensitive (depending on the frequency), in particular a pair of L-shaped cosmic explorer (CE) observatories (one 40 km and one 20 km arm length) in the US and the triangular Einstein telescope with 10 km arms in Europe. We use a set of science metrics derived from the top priorities of several funding agencies to characterize the science capabilities of different networks. The presence of one or two A # observatories in a network containing two or one next generation observatories, respectively, will provide good localization capabilities for facilitating multimessenger astronomy (MMA) and precision measurement of the Hubble parameter. Two CE observatories are indispensable for achieving precise localization of binary neutron star events, facilitating detection of electromagnetic counterparts and transforming MMA. Their combined operation is even more important in the detection and localization of high-redshift sources, such as binary neutron stars, beyond the star-formation peak, and primordial black hole mergers, which may occur roughly 100 million years after the Big Bang. The addition of the Einstein Telescope to a network of two CE observatories is critical for accomplishing all the identified science metrics including the nuclear equation of state, cosmological parameters, the growth of black holes through cosmic history, but also make new discoveries such as the presence of dark matter within or around neutron stars and black holes, continuous gravitational waves from rotating neutron stars, transient signals from supernovae, and the production of stellar-mass black holes in the early Universe. For most metrics the triple network of next generation terrestrial observatories are a factor 100 better than what can be accomplished by a network of three A # observatories.

Einstein telescope↗
DOE OSTI2025

Validating sequential Monte Carlo for gravitational-wave inference

Nested sampling (NS) is the preferred stochastic sampling algorithm for gravitational-wave inference for compact binary coalescences. It can handle the complex nature of the gravitational-wave likelihood surface and provides an estimate of the Bayesian model evidence. However, there is another class of algorithms that meets the same requirements, but has not been used for gravitational-wave analyses: sequential Monte Carlo (SMC), an extension of importance sampling that maps samples from an initial density to a target density via a series of intermediate densities. In this work, we validate a type of SMC algorithm, called persistent sampling (PS), for gravitational-wave inference. We consider a range of different scenarios including binary black holes and binary neutron stars and real and simulated data and show that PS produces results that are consistent with NS whilst being, on average, 2 times more efficient and 2.74 times faster. This demonstrates that PS is a viable alternative to NS that should be considered for future gravitational-wave analyses.

black hole mergers↗
DOE OSTI2021

Gravitational wave physics and astronomy in the nascent era

The detections of gravitational waves (GW) by the LIGO/Virgo collaborations provide various possibilities for both physics and astronomy. We are quite sure that GW observations will develop a lot, both in precision and in number, thanks to the continuous work on the improvement of detectors, including the expected new detector, KAGRA, and the planned detector, LIGO-India. On this occasion, we review the fundamental outcomes and prospects of gravitational wave physics and astronomy. We survey the development, focusing on representative sources of gravitational waves: binary black holes, binary neutron stars, and supernovae. We also summarize the role of gravitational wave observations as a probe of new physics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Gravitational-wave signal of a core-collapse supernova explosion of a 15M ⊙ star

In this paper we report on the gravitational-wave signal computed in the context of a three-dimensional simulation of a core-collapse supernova explosion of a 15 M ⊙ star. The simulation was performed with our neutrino hydrodynamics code chimera . We detail the gravitational wave strains as a function of time, for both polarizations, and discuss their physical origins. We also present the corresponding spectral signatures. Gravitational wave emission in our model has two key features: low-frequency emission (less than 200 Hz) emanates from the gain layer as a result of neutrino-driven convection and the standing accretion shock instability (SASI), and high-frequency emission (greater than 600 Hz) emanates from the proto–neutron star due to Ledoux convection within it. The high-frequency emission dominates the gravitational wave emission in our model and emanates largely from the convective layer itself, not from the convectively stable layer above it, due to convective overshoot. Moreover, the low-frequency emission emanates from the gain layer itself, not from the proto–neutron star, due to accretion onto it. We provide evidence of the SASI in our model and demonstrate that the peak of our low-frequency gravitational wave emission spectrum corresponds to it. Given its origin in the gain layer, we classify the SASI emission in our model as p-mode emission and assign a purely acoustic origin, not a vortical–acoustic origin, to it. We compare the results of our three-dimensional model analysis with those obtained from the model’s two-dimensional counterpart and find a significant reduction in the strain amplitudes in the former case, as well as significant reductions in all related quantities. Our dominant proto–neutron star gravitational wave emission is not well characterized by emission from surface g modes, complicating the relationship between peak frequencies observed and the mass and radius of the proto–neutron star expressed by analytic estimates under the assumption of surface g-mode emission. We present our frequency normalized characteristic strain along with the sensitivity curves of current- and next-generation gravitational wave detectors. This simple analysis indicates that the spectrum of gravitational wave emission between approximately 20 Hz and approximately 1 kHz, stemming from neutrino-driven convection, the SASI, accretion onto the proto–neutron star, and proto–neutron star convection, will be accessible for a Galactic event.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hardware-accelerated inference for real-time gravitational-wave astronomy

The field of transient astronomy has seen a revolution with the first gravitational-wave detections and the arrival of multi-messenger observations they enabled. Transformed by the first detection of binary black hole and binary neutron star mergers, computational demands in gravitational-wave astronomy are expected to grow by at least a factor of two over the next five years as the global network of kilometer-scale interferometers are brought to design sensitivity. With the increase in detector sensitivity, real-time delivery of gravitational-wave alerts will become increasingly important as an enabler of multi-messenger followup. In this work, we report a novel implementation and deployment of deep learning inference for real-time gravitational-wave data denoising and astrophysical source identification. This is accomplished using a generic Inference-as-a-Service model that is capable of adapting to the future needs of gravitational-wave data analysis. Overall, our implementation allows seamless incorporation of hardware accelerators and also enables the use of commercial or private (dedicated) as-a-service computing. Based on our results, we propose a paradigm shift in low-latency and offline computing in gravitational-wave astronomy. Such a shift can address key challenges in peak-usage, scalability and reliability, and provide a data analysis platform particularly optimized for deep learning applications. The achieved sub-millisecond scale latency will also be relevant for any machine learning-based real-time control systems that may be invoked in the operation of near-future and next generation ground-based laser interferometers, as well as the front-end collection, distribution and processing of data from such instruments.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Search for Lensing Signatures in the Gravitational-Wave Observations from the First Half of LIGO–Virgo’s Third Observing Run

Here, we search for signatures of gravitational lensing in the gravitational-wave signals from compact binary coalescences detected by Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and Advanced Virgo during O3a, the first half of their third observing run. We study: (1) the expected rate of lensing at current detector sensitivity and the implications of a non-observation of strong lensing or a stochastic gravitational-wave background on the merger-rate density at high redshift; (2) how the interpretation of individual high-mass events would change if they were found to be lensed; (3) the possibility of multiple images due to strong lensing by galaxies or galaxy clusters; and (4) possible wave-optics effects due to point-mass microlenses. Several pairs of signals in the multiple-image analysis show similar parameters and, in this sense, are nominally consistent with the strong lensing hypothesis. However, taking into account population priors, selection effects, and the prior odds against lensing, these events do not provide sufficient evidence for lensing. Overall, we find no compelling evidence for lensing in the observed gravitational-wave signals from any of these analyses.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Relic cosmological vector fields and inflationary gravitational waves

Here we show that relic vector fields can significantly impact a spectrum of primordial gravitational waves in the postinflationary era. We consider a triplet of U(1) fields in a homogeneous, isotropic configuration. The interaction between the gravitational waves and the vector fields, from the end of reheating to the present day, yields novel spectral features. The amplitude, tilt, shape, and net chirality of the gravitational wave spectrum are shown to depend on the abundance of the electric- and magneticlike vector fields. Our results show that even a modest abundance can have strong implications for efforts to detect the imprint of gravitational waves on the cosmic microwave background polarization. We find that a vector field comprising less than 2% of the energy density during the radiation-dominated era can have a greater than order unity effect on the predicted inflationary gravitational wave spectrum.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Phase effects from strong gravitational lensing of gravitational waves

Assessing the probability that two or more gravitational wave (GW) events are lensed images of the same source requires an understanding of the properties of the lensed images. For short enough wavelengths where wave effects can be neglected, lensed images will generically have a fixed relative phase shift that needs to be taken into account in the lensing hypothesis. For non-precessing, circular binaries dominated by quadrupole radiation these lensing phase shifts are degenerate with either a shift in the coalescence phase or a detector and inclination dependent shift in the orientation angle. This degeneracy is broken by the presence of higher harmonic modes with |m| ≠ 2 in the former and |m| ≠ l in the latter. The presence of precession or eccentricity will also break this degeneracy. This implies that a lensed GW image will not necessarily be consistent with (unlensed) predictions from general relativity (GR). Therefore, unlike the conventional scenario of electromagnetic waves, strong lensing of GWs can lead to images with a modified phase evolution that can be observed. However, we find that templates with a shifted orientation angle remain a good approximation, with signal-to-noise ratio differences of less than 1% for mass ratios up to 1/18, and less than 5% for precession parameters up to 0.5 and eccentricities up to 0.4. We conclude that an optimal strong lensing search strategy would incorporate phase information in all stages of the identification of strong-lensing, with an exact treatment in the final assessment of the probability of multiple lensed events. Here, this work clarifies the role that strong lensing plays in the phase evolution of GWs: how it can lead to apparent deviations from GR, how it can affect the detectability of GW events, and how it can be exploited to help identify cases of strong gravitational lensing of gravitational wave sources.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Gravitational wave scattering theory without large-distance asymptotics

In conventional gravitational wave scattering theory, a large-distance asymptotic approximation is employed. In this approximation, the gravitational wave is approximated by its large-distance asymptotics. In this paper, we establish a gravitational wave scattering theory without the large-distance asymptotic approximation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗