English

Constraining primordial curvature perturbations with present and future GW detectors

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 2025-05-30 v1 High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

Primordial scalar curvature perturbations (ζ\zeta), typically probed on large cosmological scales via CMB and LSS observations, can be significantly enhanced on smaller scales by various early Universe mechanisms, for instance, non-minimal inflationary models. While decoupled at linear order, scalar and tensor perturbations, i.e., Gravitational Waves (GWs), interact at second order. As a consequence, an enhanced primordial scalar power spectrum Pζ(k)P_\zeta(k) can source a sizable stochastic GW background (SGWB). In these proceedings, we briefly review the generation mechanism of such signals, typically referred to as scalar-induced GWs (SIGWs), and discuss the prospects of measuring them with present and future Pulsar Timing Arrays datasets and future GW observatories like the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna LISA.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2505.23521,
  title  = {Constraining primordial curvature perturbations with present and future GW detectors},
  author = {Mauro Pieroni},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.23521},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

4 pages, 2 figures, contribution to the 2025 Gravitation session of the 59th Rencontres de Moriond