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Gravitational waves from mesoscopic dynamics of the extra dimensions
1Astronomy and Physics Departments, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1580, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|September 6, 2000
Summary
New models of our universe as a brane in higher dimensions predict gravitational radiation. These signals, from early universe symmetry breaking, could be detected at frequencies from 10(3) to 10(-4) Hz.
Area of Science:
- Theoretical Physics
- Cosmology
- String Theory
Background:
- Brane-world models propose our universe is a membrane in higher dimensions.
- These models introduce new geometric degrees of freedom.
- Early universe symmetry breaking can excite these degrees of freedom.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the frequency and intensity of gravitational radiation backgrounds from these models.
- To explore the potential detectability of such backgrounds.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of geometrical degrees of freedom in brane-world scenarios.
- Estimation of gravitational radiation characteristics based on extra-dimension scales.
Main Results:
- Excitation of geometric variations is possible on mesoscopic scales (up to 1 mm).
- Extra dimensions with scales between 10^-14 mm and 1 mm can generate detectable gravitational radiation.
- Detectable backgrounds are predicted at frequencies ranging from approximately 10^3 Hz to 10^-4 Hz.
Conclusions:
- Brane-world models offer a potential source of detectable gravitational radiation.
- The scale of extra dimensions is a key factor in determining the detectability and frequency of these gravitational waves.