Probing Trans-Electroweak First Order Phase Transitions from Gravitational Waves

We propose direct tests of very high energy first-order phase transitions, which are elusive to collider physics, deploying the gravitational waves’ measurements. We show that first-order phase transitions lying in a large window of critical temperatures, which is considerably larger than the electroweak energy scale, can be tested from advanced LIGO (aLIGO) and the Einstein Telescope. This provides the possibility to probe several inflationary mechanisms ending with the inflaton in a false minimum and high-energy first order phase transitions that are due to new scalar bosons, beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. As an important example, we consider the axion monodromy inflationary scenario and analyze the potential for its experimental verification, deploying the gravitational wave interferometers.

Download Full-text

Dark holograms and gravitational waves

Journal of High Energy Physics ◽

10.1007/jhep04(2021)094 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Francesco Bigazzi ◽

Alessio Caddeo ◽

Aldo L. Cotrone ◽

Angel Paredes

Keyword(s):

Phase Transitions ◽

Gravitational Waves ◽

Chiral Symmetry Breaking ◽

Power Spectra ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Sound Waves ◽

Critical Temperatures ◽

Two Phase ◽

First Order ◽

First Order Phase

Abstract Spectra of stochastic gravitational waves (GW) generated in cosmological first-order phase transitions are computed within strongly correlated theories with a dual holographic description. The theories are mostly used as models of dark sectors. In particular, we consider the so-called Witten-Sakai-Sugimoto model, a SU(N) gauge theory coupled to different matter fields in both the fundamental and the adjoint representations. The model has a well-known top-down holographic dual description which allows us to perform reliable calculations in the strongly coupled regime. We consider the GW spectra from bubble collisions and sound waves arising from two different kinds of first-order phase transitions: a confinement/deconfinement one and a chiral symmetry breaking/restoration one. Depending on the model parameters, we find that the GW spectra may fall within the sensibility region of ground-based and space-based interferometers, as well as of Pulsar Timing Arrays. In the latter case, the signal could be compatible with the recent potential observation by NANOGrav. When the two phase transitions happen at different critical temperatures, characteristic spectra with double frequency peaks show up. Moreover, in this case we explicitly show how to correct the redshift factors appearing in the formulae for the GW power spectra to account for the fact that adiabatic expansion from the first transition to the present times cannot be assumed anymore.

Download Full-text

Fate of false vacua in holographic first-order phase transitions

Journal of High Energy Physics ◽

10.1007/jhep12(2020)200 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 (12) ◽

Author(s):

Francesco Bigazzi ◽

Alessio Caddeo ◽

Aldo L. Cotrone ◽

Angel Paredes

Keyword(s):

Phase Transitions ◽

Chiral Symmetry ◽

Metastable Phase ◽

Chiral Symmetry Breaking ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Temperature Phase ◽

Thin Wall ◽

Critical Temperatures ◽

First Order ◽

First Order Phase

Abstract Using the holographic correspondence as a tool, we study the dynamics of first-order phase transitions in strongly coupled gauge theories at finite temperature. Considering an evolution from the large to the small temperature phase, we compute the nucleation rate of bubbles of true vacuum in the metastable phase. For this purpose, we find the relevant configurations (bounces) interpolating between the vacua and we compute the related effective actions. We start by revisiting the compact Randall-Sundrum model at high temperature. Using holographic renormalization, we compute the derivative term in the effective bounce action, that was missing in the literature. Then, we address the full problem within the top-down Witten-Sakai-Sugimoto model. It displays both a confinement/deconfinement and a chiral symmetry breaking/restoration phase transition which, depending on the model parameters, can happen at different critical temperatures. For the confinement/deconfinement case we perform the numerical analysis of an effective description of the transition and also provide analytic expressions using thick and thin wall approximations. For the chiral symmetry transition, we implement a variational approach that allows us to address the challenging non-linear problem stemming from the Dirac-Born-Infeld action.

Download Full-text

Limiting first-order phase transitions in dark gauge sectors from gravitational waves experiments

Modern Physics Letters A ◽

10.1142/s0217732317500493 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 32 (08) ◽

pp. 1750049 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Andrea Addazi

Keyword(s):

Phase Transition ◽

Phase Transitions ◽

Standard Model ◽

Gravitational Waves ◽

Parameter Space ◽

Higgs Potential ◽

Electroweak Phase Transition ◽

First Order ◽

First Order Phase

We discuss the possibility to indirectly test first-order phase transitions of hidden sectors. We study the interesting example of a Dark Standard Model (D-SM) with a deformed parameter space in the Higgs potential. A dark electroweak phase transition can be limited from next future experiments like eLISA and DECIGO.

Download Full-text

GRAVITATIONAL WAVES FROM COSMOLOGICAL PHASE TRANSITIONS

International Journal of Modern Physics A ◽

10.1142/s0217751x09044966 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (08n09) ◽

pp. 1541-1544

Author(s):

ARIEL MÉGEVAND

Keyword(s):

Phase Transition ◽

Phase Transitions ◽

Gravitational Waves ◽

Order Phase Transition ◽

Gravitational Radiation ◽

First Order ◽

First Order Phase Transition ◽

First Order Phase

I discuss the gravitational radiation produced in a first-order phase transition due to the turbulence that is caused by bubble expansion. I compare the cases of deflagration and detonation bubbles.

Download Full-text

Gravitational waves from cosmological first order phase transitions

10.22323/1.251.0233 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Kari Rummukainen ◽

Stephan J Huber ◽

Mark B. Hindmarsh ◽

David Weir

Keyword(s):

Phase Transitions ◽

Gravitational Waves ◽

First Order ◽

First Order Phase

Download Full-text

Gravitational-Wave Implications for the Parity Symmetry of Gravity at GeV Scale

10.21203/rs.3.rs-57578/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yifan Wang ◽

Rui Niu ◽

Wen Zhao ◽

Tao Zhu

Keyword(s):

General Relativity ◽

Gravitational Wave ◽

Gravitational Waves ◽

Particle Physics ◽

Energy Region ◽

High Energy ◽

Energy Scale ◽

High Energy Region ◽

Parity Symmetry ◽

Parity Conservation

Abstract Einstein's general relativity, as the most successful theory of gravity, is one of the cornerstones of modern physics. However, the experimental tests for gravity in the high energy region are limited. The emerging gravitational-wave astronomy has opened an avenue for probing the fundamental properties of gravity in strong and dynamical field, and in particular, high energy regime. In this work, we focus on the parity symmetry of gravity. For broken parity, the left- and right-handed modes of gravitational waves would follow different equations of motion, dubbed as birefringence. We perform the first full Bayesian inference of the parity conservation of gravity by comparing the state-of-the-art waveform with the compact binary coalescence data released by LIGO and Virgo collaboration. We do not find any violations of general relativity, thus obtain the lower bound of the parity-violating energy scale to be $0.09$ GeV through the velocity birefringence of gravitational waves. This provides the most stringent experimental test of gravitational parity symmetry up to date, and for the first time, in the high energy region, which ushers in a new era of using gravitational waves to test the ultraviolet behavior of gravity. We also find third-generation gravitational-wave detectors can enhance this bound to $\mathcal{O}(10^2)$ GeV if there is still no violation, comparable to the current LHC energy scale in particle physics.

Download Full-text