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A Thermal Graviton Background from Extra Dimensions

Astrophysics 2009-11-10 v2 High Energy Physics - Phenomenology

Abstract

Inflationary cosmology predicts a low-amplitude graviton background across a wide range of frequencies. This Letter shows that if one or more extra dimensions exist, the graviton background may have a thermal spectrum instead, dependent on the fundamental scale of the extra dimensions. The energy density is shown to be significant enough that it can affect nucleosynthesis in a substantial way. The possibility of direct detection of a thermal graviton background using the 21-cm hydrogen line is discussed. Alternative explanations for the creation of a thermal graviton background are also examined.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0503162,
  title  = {A Thermal Graviton Background from Extra Dimensions},
  author = {E. R. Siegel and J. N. Fry},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0503162},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

5 pages, 1 figure, requires autart.cls, to appear in Phys. Lett. B, 1 reference added

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