Constraining early dark energy with gravitational waves before recombination
Zachary J. Weiner, Peter Adshead, John T. Giblin
Abstract
We show that the nonperturbative decay of ultralight scalars into Abelian gauge bosons, recently proposed as a possible solution to the Hubble tension, produces a stochastic background of gravitational waves which is constrained by the cosmic microwave background. We simulate the full nonlinear dynamics of resonant dark photon production and the associated gravitational-wave production, finding the signals to exceed constraints for the entire parameter space we consider. Our findings suggest that gravitational-wave production from the decay of early dark energy may provide a unique probe of these models.
Topics & Concepts
PhysicsGravitational waveCosmic microwave backgroundDark energyAstrophysicsBosonGravitational wave backgroundDark matterGravitational energyParticle physicsQuantum electrodynamicsClassical mechanicsQuantum mechanicsCosmologyAnisotropyCosmology and Gravitation TheoriesDark Matter and Cosmic PhenomenaPulsars and Gravitational Waves Research