Reconstructing early universe evolution with gravitational waves from supercooled phase transitions

Abstract We study gravitational waves from supercooled cosmological first-order phase transitions. If such a transition is followed by inefficient reheating, the evolution history of the universe is modified by a period of early matter domination. This leaves an imprint on the predicted gravitationa...

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Main Authors: Adam Gonstal, Marek Lewicki, Bogumiła Świeżewska
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-08-01
Series:Journal of High Energy Physics
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2025)039
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author Adam Gonstal
Marek Lewicki
Bogumiła Świeżewska
author_facet Adam Gonstal
Marek Lewicki
Bogumiła Świeżewska
author_sort Adam Gonstal
collection DOAJ
description Abstract We study gravitational waves from supercooled cosmological first-order phase transitions. If such a transition is followed by inefficient reheating, the evolution history of the universe is modified by a period of early matter domination. This leaves an imprint on the predicted gravitational-wave spectra. Using Fisher analysis we show the parameter space in reach of upcoming gravitational wave observatories where reheating can be probed due to its impact on the stochastic background produced by the transition. We use both the simplified geometric parametrisation and the thermodynamical one explicitly including the decay rate of the field undergoing the transition as a parameter determining the spectrum. We show the expansion history following the transition can be probed provided the transition is very strong which is naturally realised in classically scale invariant models generically predicting supercooling. Moreover, in such a scenario the decay rate of the scalar undergoing the phase transition, a parameter most likely inaccessible to accelerators, can be determined through the spectrum analysis.
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spelling doaj-art-76e09d1bb8494c71be7e7a86adf022e12025-08-20T03:45:40ZengSpringerOpenJournal of High Energy Physics1029-84792025-08-012025812310.1007/JHEP08(2025)039Reconstructing early universe evolution with gravitational waves from supercooled phase transitionsAdam Gonstal0Marek Lewicki1Bogumiła Świeżewska2Faculty of Physics, University of WarsawFaculty of Physics, University of WarsawFaculty of Physics, University of WarsawAbstract We study gravitational waves from supercooled cosmological first-order phase transitions. If such a transition is followed by inefficient reheating, the evolution history of the universe is modified by a period of early matter domination. This leaves an imprint on the predicted gravitational-wave spectra. Using Fisher analysis we show the parameter space in reach of upcoming gravitational wave observatories where reheating can be probed due to its impact on the stochastic background produced by the transition. We use both the simplified geometric parametrisation and the thermodynamical one explicitly including the decay rate of the field undergoing the transition as a parameter determining the spectrum. We show the expansion history following the transition can be probed provided the transition is very strong which is naturally realised in classically scale invariant models generically predicting supercooling. Moreover, in such a scenario the decay rate of the scalar undergoing the phase transition, a parameter most likely inaccessible to accelerators, can be determined through the spectrum analysis.https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2025)039Cosmology of Theories BSMEarly Universe Particle PhysicsPhase Transitions in the Early Universe
spellingShingle Adam Gonstal
Marek Lewicki
Bogumiła Świeżewska
Reconstructing early universe evolution with gravitational waves from supercooled phase transitions
Journal of High Energy Physics
Cosmology of Theories BSM
Early Universe Particle Physics
Phase Transitions in the Early Universe
title Reconstructing early universe evolution with gravitational waves from supercooled phase transitions
title_full Reconstructing early universe evolution with gravitational waves from supercooled phase transitions
title_fullStr Reconstructing early universe evolution with gravitational waves from supercooled phase transitions
title_full_unstemmed Reconstructing early universe evolution with gravitational waves from supercooled phase transitions
title_short Reconstructing early universe evolution with gravitational waves from supercooled phase transitions
title_sort reconstructing early universe evolution with gravitational waves from supercooled phase transitions
topic Cosmology of Theories BSM
Early Universe Particle Physics
Phase Transitions in the Early Universe
url https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2025)039
work_keys_str_mv AT adamgonstal reconstructingearlyuniverseevolutionwithgravitationalwavesfromsupercooledphasetransitions
AT mareklewicki reconstructingearlyuniverseevolutionwithgravitationalwavesfromsupercooledphasetransitions
AT bogumiłaswiezewska reconstructingearlyuniverseevolutionwithgravitationalwavesfromsupercooledphasetransitions