The stochastic gravitational wave background from primordial gravitational atoms

Jul 18, 2024
30 pages
Published in:
  • JCAP 11 (2024) 039
  • Published: Nov 22, 2024
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Abstract: (IOP)
We propose a scenario of primordial gravitational atoms (PGAs), which may exist in the current and past universe due to spinning primordial black holes (PBHs) and very light bosonic fields. In a monochromatic mass scenario with a sizable dimensionless spin, which may arise in a short matter dominated (MD) era, we analyze the resulting stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) signal. Its spectrum is approximately characterized by a rising ∝ f3^{3} followed by a falling ∝ fβˆ’1^{-1} where f is the frequency. Then, we investigate the constraints and prospects of such an SGWB, and find that PGAs with a core mass MBH_{BH} ∼ π’ͺ(10) MβŠ™_{βŠ™} and a cloud of light scalar with mass ΞΌ ∼ π’ͺ (10βˆ’13^{-13}) eV could yield constraints even stronger than those from bare PBHs. Future detectors such as LISA, Taiji and TianQin are able to explore PGAs over a narrow and elongated strap in the (ΞΌ,MBH_{BH}) plane, spanning over 10 orders of magnitude for the maximum spin, 10βˆ’8^{-8}MβŠ™_{βŠ™} ≲ MBH_{BH} ≲ 104^{4}MβŠ™_{βŠ™}, 10βˆ’16^{-16} eV ≲ ΞΌ ≲ 10βˆ’3^{-3} eV. If the PGA is dressed with a vector cloud, the SGWB signal has a much better opportunity to be probed.
  • primordial black holes
  • gravitational waves / sources