Are pre-big-bang models falsifiable by gravitational wave experiments?

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether string-inspired pre-big-bang cosmological models can be tested and potentially falsified through gravitational wave experiments, emphasizing the importance of model parameters for detectability.

Contribution

It analyzes the detectability of relic gravitational waves in minimal string cosmology models and shows how future detectors can constrain these models based on parameter values.

Findings

Detectability of gravitational waves depends on model parameters.

Second-generation detectors can place significant constraints.

Certain parameter ranges make models falsifiable by gravitational wave data.

Abstract

One of the most interesting predictions of string-inspired cosmological models is the presence of a stochastic background of relic gravitational waves in the frequency band accessible to Earth-based detectors. Here we consider a ``minimal'' class of string cosmology models and explore whether they are falsifiable by gravitational wave observations. In particular, we show that, the detectability of the signal depends crucially on the actual values of the model parameters. This feature will enable laser interferometers -- starting from the second generation of detectors -- to place stringent constraints on the theory for a fairly large range of the free parameters of the model.