S. Mukovnikov, L. Sousa
Abstract
We derive analytical approximations to describe the ultrahigh-frequency secondary peak of the stochastic gravitational wave background generated by cosmic strings that is sourced by loops created in the friction-dominated era. We show that these approximations provide a very good description of the contribution of the friction-era loops over the relevant frequency range and for a broad range of cosmic string parameters, thus enabling a fast and accurate characterization of this signature. We also use these approximations to uncover the full parameter range in which this ultrahigh-frequency peak should be distinguishable on the stochastic gravitational wave background spectrum and show that it should be present in a broader range of high-energy physics scenarios than originally reported in [Phys. Rev. D 110, 063516 (2024)PRVDAQ2470-0010].
Keywords
Cosmology
Physical Review D
Volume 114, Issue 063519, Page 17
2026 September
