Scalar induced gravitational waves in modified teleparallel gravity theories

Primordial black holes (PBHs) forming out of the collapse of enhanced cosmological perturbations provide access to the early Universe through their associated observational signatures. In particular, enhanced cosmological perturbations collapsing to form PBHs are responsible for the generation of a stochastic gravitational-wave background (SGWB) induced by second-order gravitational interactions, usually called scalar induced gravitational waves (SIGWs). This SGWB is sensitive to the underlying gravitational theory; hence it can be used as a novel tool to test the standard paradigm of gravity and constrain possible deviations from general relativity. In this work, we study the aforementioned GW signal within modified teleparallel gravity theories, developing a formalism for the derivation of the GW spectral abundance within any form of gravitational action. At the end, working within viable $f(T,\phi)$ models without matter-gravity couplings, and accounting for the effect of mono-parametric $f(T)$ gravity at the level of the source and the propagation of the tensor perturbations, we show that the respective GW signal is indistinguishable from that within GR. Interestingly, we find that in order to break the degeneracy between different $f(T)$ theories through the portal of SIGWs one should necessarily consider non-minimal matter-gravity couplings at the level of the gravitational action.Comment: 16 pages without appendices (24 in total), 2 figure

Signatures of Superstring theory in NANOGrav

In this Letter, we extract for the first time signatures of Superstring theory in the recently released NANOGrav data. We concentrate on the primordial gravitational wave (GW) spectrum induced by the gravitational potential of a population of primordial black holes (PBHs) generated in the framework of no-scale Supergravity. In particular, working within Wess-Zumino type no-scale Supergravity we find naturally-realised inflection-point inflationary potentials, which can give rise to the formation of microscopic PBHs triggering an early matter-dominated era (eMD) and evaporating before Big Bang Nucleosythesis (BBN). Remarkably, we obtain an abundant production of gravitational waves, whose profile is quite distinctive, characterized by a strong oscillatory pattern and being in strong agreement with NANOGrav data. Hence, such a signal can act as a potential signature of no-scale Supergravity and Superstring theory at the current and near-future GW observations.Comment: Minor changes: new references and small discussion adde

Induced gravitational waves from flipped SU(5) superstring theory at nHz\mathrm{nHz}

The no-scale flipped SU(5) superstring framework constitutes a very promising paradigm for physics below the Planck scale providing us with a very rich cosmological phenomenology in accordance with observations. In particular, it can accommodate Starobinsky-like inflation, followed by a reheating phase, which is driven by a light "flaton" field, and during which the GUT phase transition occurs. In this Letter, we extract for the first time a gravitational-wave (GW) signal which naturally arises in the context of the flipped SU(5) cosmological phenomenology and is related to the existence of an early matter era (eMD) driven by the flaton field. Specifically, we study GWs non-linearly induced by inflationary perturbations and which are abundantly produced during a sudden transition from the flaton-driven eMD era to the late-time radiation-dominated era. Remarkably, we find a GW signal with a characteristic peak frequency $f_\mathrm{GW,peak}$ depending only on the string slope $\alpha'$ and reading as $f_\mathrm{GW,peak} \propto 10^{-9} \left(\frac{\alpha'}{\alpha'_*}\right)^4 \mathrm{Hz}$, where $\alpha'_*$ is the fiducial string slope being related directly to the reduced Planck scale $M_\mathrm{Pl}$ as $\alpha'_* = 8/M^2_\mathrm{Pl}$. Interestingly enough, $f_\mathrm{GW,peak}$ lies within the $\mathrm{nHz}$ frequency range; hence rendering this primordial GW signal potentially detectable by SKA, NANOGrav and PTA probes at their very low frequency region of their detection bands.Comment: Accepted in Physics Letters B. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2307.0860

No constraints for f(T) gravity from gravitational waves induced from primordial black hole fluctuations

Abstract Primordial black hole (PBH) fluctuations can induce a stochastic gravitational wave background at second order, and since this procedure is sensitive to the underlying gravitational theory it can be used as a novel tool to test general relativity and extract constraints on possible modified gravity deviations. We apply this formalism in the framework of f(T) gravity, considering three viable mono-parametric models. In particular, we investigate the induced modifications at the level of the gravitational-wave source, which is encoded in terms of the power spectrum of the PBH gravitational potential, as well as at the level of their propagation, described in terms of the Green function which quantifies the propagator of the tensor perturbations. We find that, within the observationally allowed range of the f(T) model-parameters, the obtained deviations from general relativity, both at the levels of source and propagation, are practically negligible. Hence, we conclude that realistic and viable f(T) theories can safely pass the primordial black hole constraints, which may offer an additional argument in their favor

Gravitational wave signatures of no-scale supergravity in NANOGrav and beyond

In this Letter, we derive for the first time a characteristic three-peaked GW signal within the framework of no-scale Supergravity, being the low-energy limit of Superstring theory. We concentrate on the primordial gravitational wave (GW) spectrum induced due to second-order gravitational interactions by inflationary curvature perturbations as well as by isocurvature energy density perturbations of primordial black holes (PBHs) both amplified due to the presence of an early matter-dominated era (eMD) era before Big Bang Nucleosythesis (BBN). In particular, we work with inflection-point inflationary potentials naturally-realised within Wess-Zumino type no-scale Supergravity and giving rise to the formation of microscopic PBHs triggering an eMD era and evaporating before BBN. Remarkably, we obtain an abundant production of gravitational waves at the frequency ranges of nHz, Hz and kHz and in strong agreement with Pulsar Time Array (PTA) GW data. Interestingly enough, a simultaneous detection of all three nHz, Hz and kHz GW peaks can constitute a potential observational signature for no-scale Supergravity