Q-ball collisions and their Gravitational Waves

TL;DR

This paper investigates the collision behavior of Q-balls, a type of localized scalar field object, and explores the gravitational waves they produce, using a new computational tool to analyze potential signals detectable by future gravitational wave observatories.

Contribution

The study introduces a new code for simulating scalar field Q-ball collisions with gravity and analyzes their gravitational wave signatures, advancing understanding of their phenomenology.

Findings

Q-ball collisions produce distinct gravitational wave signals.

The new code enables detailed simulation of scalar field dynamics with gravity.

Potential detectability of Q-ball collision signals by future gravitational wave detectors.

Abstract

Sydney Coleman's Q-ball remains a compelling instance of localised object formation within classical field theory, independently of the quantum evolution. The theoretical possibility of such objects forming and colliding in the early universe from models such as Affleck-Dine fragmentation, or from a number of mechanisms where they are produced copiously with various size and charges to be dark matter candidates, makes it important to study in detail Q-ball collision phenomenology. In this work we present results from a study of Q-ball collisions and their gravitational waves, using a new general code package for scalar fields coupled to gravity. We then comment on the possibility of future gravitational wave detectors searching for signals of Q-ball collisions.