Searching for parity violation with the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA network

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to detect parity violation in the gravitational wave background using LIGO-Virgo data, and assesses future detector capabilities for constraining early universe cosmological models.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach to search for parity violation in gravitational wave data and evaluates the potential of future detectors to improve constraints.

Findings

No parity violation detected in current data

Method demonstrates improved sensitivity over previous approaches

Future detectors could significantly tighten constraints on early universe models

Abstract

A stochastic gravitational wave background is expected to emerge from the superposition of numerous gravitational wave sources of both astrophysical and cosmological origin. A number of cosmological models can have a parity violation, resulting in the generation of circularly polarised gravitational waves. We present a method to search for parity violation in the gravitational wave data. We first apply this method to the most recent, third, LIGO-Virgo observing run. We then investigate the constraining power of future A+ LIGO-Virgo detectors, including KAGRA to the network, for a gravitational wave background generated by early universe cosmological turbulence.