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Gravitational Waves from Feebly Interacting Particles in a First Order Phase Transition.
Ryusuke Jinno1,2, Bibhushan Shakya3, Jorinde van de Vis3,4
1Instituto de Física Teórica UAM/CSIC, C/ Nicolás Cabrera 13-15, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
Physical Review Letters
|April 17, 2026
Summary
First-order phase transitions can generate gravitational waves (GWs) in the early Universe. This study explores a new GW source from feebly interacting particles, distinct from conventional models and detectable by future observatories.
Area of Science:
- Cosmology
- Particle Physics
- Gravitational Wave Astronomy
Background:
- First-order phase transitions are established sources of gravitational waves (GWs) originating from the early Universe.
- Energy release during these transitions typically generates GWs via bubble wall collisions or plasma interactions (sound waves, turbulence).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate an alternative mechanism for GW production during first-order phase transitions.
- To explore energy transfer to feebly interacting particles as a novel GW source.
Main Methods:
- Developing a theoretical formalism to model GW production from free-streaming particles.
- Analyzing the distinct characteristics of GW signals generated by this new mechanism.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that energy transfer to feebly interacting particles can produce GWs.
- Identified unique signal characteristics for this alternative GW source.
Conclusions:
- The proposed mechanism offers a new perspective on GW generation from early Universe phase transitions.
- These GW signals possess distinct features, making them potentially detectable with upcoming gravitational wave detectors.
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