Gravitational waves from cosmic strings in LISA: reconstruction pipeline and physics interpretation
Abstract We initiate the LISA template databank for stochastic gravitational wave backgrounds sourced by cosmic strings. We include two templates, an analytical template, which enables more flexible searches, and a numerical template derived directly from large Nambu-Goto simulations of string networks. Using searches based on these templates, we forecast the parameter space within the reach of the experiment and the precision with which their parameters will be reconstructed, provided a signal is observed. The reconstruction permits probing the Hubble expansion and new relativistic DoF in the early universe. We quantify the impact that astrophysical foregrounds can have on these searches. Finally, we discuss the impact that these observations would have on our understanding of the fundamental models behind the string networks. Overall, we prove that LISA has great potential for probing cosmic string models and may reach tensions as low as Gμ = 10 -16 – 10 -17 , which translates into energy scales of the order 10 11 GeV.
Authors
- Yanou Cui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4322-9246)
- L. Sousa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9556-3687)
- Sachiko Kuroyanagi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6538-1447)
- I. Yu. Rybak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8501-8629)
- Jeremy M. Wachter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1070-2431)
- Marek Lewicki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8378-0107)
- Mauro Pieroni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0665-266X)
- Germano Nardini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3523-0477)
- José J. Blanco-Pillado (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2260-9047)
Institutions
- University of California, Riverside (US)
- Ikerbasque (ES)
- University of the Basque Country (ES)
- Universidade do Porto (PT)
- Wentworth Institute of Technology (US)
- Universidad de Zaragoza (ES)
- Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (PT)
- Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto (PT)
- University of Warsaw (PL)
- Nagoya University (JP)
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (ES)
- European Organization for Nuclear Research (CH)
- University of Stavanger (NO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
- Published
- 2025-05-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2025/05/006
- Citations
- 22
- Primary Topic
- Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 41.14