Did Goryachev et al. detect megahertz gravitational waves?

TL;DR

The paper critically evaluates Goryachev et al.'s claimed detection of high-frequency gravitational waves, demonstrating that these events are inconsistent with gravitational wave origins based on energy density and existing detector constraints.

Contribution

It provides a rigorous analysis disproving the gravitational wave interpretation of the claimed high-frequency events and discusses implications for future ultra high-frequency gravitational wave searches.

Findings

The inferred gravitational-wave energy density is unphysically high (~10^8).

LIGO/Virgo non-detection of expected memory signals rules out gravitational wave origin.

The claimed events are unlikely to be caused by gravitational waves.

Abstract

Goryachev et al. [1] recently announced the detection of "two strongly significant events" in their Bulk Acoustic Wave High Frequency Gravitational Wave Antenna. They claim many possibilities for the cause of these events, including high-frequency megahertz gravitational waves. We demonstrate these events are not due to gravitational waves for two reasons. 1) The inferred stochastic gravitational-wave background from these events implies the gravitational-wave energy density of the Universe is $\Omega_{\rm gw}\approx 10^8$, approximately $10^8$ times the closure density of the Universe. 2) The low-frequency gravitational-wave memory signal that accompanies any high-frequency gravitational-wave source visible by the current generation of high-frequency detectors would have been visible by LIGO/Virgo as a transient burst with signal-to-noise ratio $\gtrsim10^6$. The non-detection of such loud memory bursts throughout the operation of LIGO/Virgo rules out the gravitational-wave explanation for the high-frequency events detected by Goryachev et al. We discuss broader implications of this work for the ongoing experimental search for ultra high-frequency (MHz-GHz) gravitational waves.