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Imprints of the Standard Model in the Sky: Gravitational Waves from the decay of the Higgs after inflation

Daniel G. Figueroa

Abstract

The existence of the Standard Model (SM) Higgs implies that a gravitational wave (GW) background is generated by the decay products of the Higgs, soon after the end of inflation. Theoretically, all Yukawa and $SU(2)_L$ gauge couplings of the SM are imprinted as features in the GW spectrum. In practice, the signal from the most strongly coupled species dominates, rendering inaccesible the information on the other species. If detected, this background could be used for measuring properties of high-energy particle physics, including beyond the SM. To achieve this goal, new high frequency GW detection technology is required, beyond that of currently planned detectors.

Imprints of the Standard Model in the Sky: Gravitational Waves from the decay of the Higgs after inflation

Abstract

The existence of the Standard Model (SM) Higgs implies that a gravitational wave (GW) background is generated by the decay products of the Higgs, soon after the end of inflation. Theoretically, all Yukawa and gauge couplings of the SM are imprinted as features in the GW spectrum. In practice, the signal from the most strongly coupled species dominates, rendering inaccesible the information on the other species. If detected, this background could be used for measuring properties of high-energy particle physics, including beyond the SM. To achieve this goal, new high frequency GW detection technology is required, beyond that of currently planned detectors.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 7 equations, 1 figure.

Figures (1)

  • Figure 1: Top: Three GW spectra calculated for the resonance parameters $q = 10^2, 10^3, 10^4$ in RD and for $H_{\rm I} = H_{\rm I}^{<}$. Bottom: Universal function $\mathcal{U}(k/k_p)$, obtained from the GW spectra calculated above. As expected, the spectra peak at $k_p \sim q^{1/4}H_{\rm I}$, signaled by the maximum of $\mathcal{U}(x)$ at $x \sim 1$. Similar plots are obtained for the MD case.