Big Bang Nucleosynthesis Limits and Relic Gravitational Waves Detection Prospects

TL;DR

This paper reevaluates big bang nucleosynthesis limits on primordial magnetic fields and turbulence, finding increased gravitational wave signals and assessing detection prospects across various observational platforms.

Contribution

It introduces a revised analysis of BBN constraints considering decaying turbulence, leading to higher GW signal estimates and exploring detection possibilities with space-based interferometers and pulsar timing.

Findings

Larger estimates for gravitational wave signals than previous models.

Detection prospects vary across different GW generation energy scales.

Revised BBN limits influence future GW observational strategies.

Abstract

We revisit the big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) limits on primordial magnetic fields and/or turbulent motions accounting for the decaying nature of turbulent sources between the time of generation and BBN. This leads to larger estimates for the gravitational wave (GW) signal than previously expected. We address the detection prospects through space-based interferometers (for GWs generated around the electroweak energy scale) as well as pulsar timing arrays and astrometric missions (for GWs generated around the quantum chromodynamics energy scale).