Münster 2017 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 62: Astroteilchenphysik/Kosmologie (Theorie) 2

T 62.7: Talk

Tuesday, March 28, 2017, 18:15–18:30, VSH 17

Gravitational waves from oscillons after inflation — •Francesco Cefalà — University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

We investigate the production of gravitational waves during the preheating process after inflation in the common case of field potentials that are asymmetric around the minimum where the universe reheats. In particular, we study the impact of oscillons, comparatively long lived and spatially localized regions where a scalar field (e.g. the inflaton) oscillates with large amplitude. Contrary to a previous study, which considered a symmetric potential, we find that oscillons in asymmetric potentials associated with a phase transition can generate a pronounced peak in the spectrum of gravitational waves, that largely exceeds the linear preheating spectrum. In my talk, I will discuss the possible implications of this enhanced amplitude of gravitational waves. For instance, for low scale inflation models, the contribution from the oscillons can strongly enhance the observation prospects at current and future gravitational wave detectors.