Published June 15, 2009 | Version v1
Journal article

Gravitational waves from the fragmentation of a supersymmetric condensate

  • 1. Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8568 (Japan)
  • 2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1547 (United States)
  • 3. Niels Bohr Institute, Blegdamsvej-17, Copenhagen, DK-2100 (Denmark)
  • 4. Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB (United Kingdom)
  • 5. Department of Physics, University of Turku, FIN-20014 (Finland)

Description

We discuss the production of gravity waves from the fragmentation of a supersymmetric condensate in the early Universe. Supersymmetry predicts the existence of flat directions in the potential. At the end of inflation, the scalar fields develop large time-dependent vacuum expectation values along these flat directions. Under some general conditions, the scalar condensates undergo a fragmentation into nontopological solitons, Q-balls. We study this process numerically and confirm the recent analytical calculations showing that it can produce gravity waves observable by the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, and Big Bang Observer. The fragmentation can generate gravity waves with an amplitude as large as ΩGWh2∼10-11 and with a peak frequency ranging from 1 mHz to 10 Hz, depending on the parameters. The discovery of such a relic gravitational background radiation can open a new window on the physics at the high scales, even if supersymmetry is broken well above the electroweak scale.

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physical Review. D, Particles Fields
Journal Volume
79
Journal Issue
12
Journal Page Range
p. 124034-124034.10
ISSN
0556-2821
CODEN
PRVDAQ

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
41045784
Subject category
S72: PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS;
Descriptors DEI
AMPLITUDES; BACKGROUND RADIATION; FRAGMENTATION; GRAVITATIONAL WAVES; INTERFEROMETERS; SCALAR FIELDS; SOLITONS; SPACE; SUPERSYMMETRY; TIME DEPENDENCE; UNIVERSE
Descriptors DEC
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; QUASI PARTICLES; RADIATIONS; SYMMETRY

Optional Information

Notes
(c) 2009 The American Physical Society