Scalar-induced gravitational waves including isocurvature perturbations with lattice simulations

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Zeng, Xiang-Xi
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Zeng, Xiang-Xi
author_facet Zeng, Xiang-Xi
contents Scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGWs) open a unique window into early-universe physics. While their generation from adiabatic perturbations has been extensively studied, the contribution from isocurvature perturbations remains largely unexplored. In this work, we develop a lattice simulation framework to compute the stochastic gravitational wave background from both pure isocurvature and mixed initial conditions. Our numerical results show excellent agreement with semi-analytical predictions in the pure isocurvature case. We further analyze multi-peak structures under general initial conditions and find that they closely match those produced in purely adiabatic scenarios. Additionally, we examine SIGWs in early matter-dominated eras, revealing that the peak amplitude and spectral slope are sensitive to the microphysical properties of the dominant field, such as the primordial black hole mass, abundance, or soliton decay rate. This study establishes lattice simulations as a robust tool for predicting SIGW spectra from complex primordial perturbations, with important implications for interpreting current and future gravitational wave observations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_02106
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Scalar-induced gravitational waves including isocurvature perturbations with lattice simulations
Zeng, Xiang-Xi
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGWs) open a unique window into early-universe physics. While their generation from adiabatic perturbations has been extensively studied, the contribution from isocurvature perturbations remains largely unexplored. In this work, we develop a lattice simulation framework to compute the stochastic gravitational wave background from both pure isocurvature and mixed initial conditions. Our numerical results show excellent agreement with semi-analytical predictions in the pure isocurvature case. We further analyze multi-peak structures under general initial conditions and find that they closely match those produced in purely adiabatic scenarios. Additionally, we examine SIGWs in early matter-dominated eras, revealing that the peak amplitude and spectral slope are sensitive to the microphysical properties of the dominant field, such as the primordial black hole mass, abundance, or soliton decay rate. This study establishes lattice simulations as a robust tool for predicting SIGW spectra from complex primordial perturbations, with important implications for interpreting current and future gravitational wave observations.
title Scalar-induced gravitational waves including isocurvature perturbations with lattice simulations
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.02106