Observing cosmic string loops with gravitational lensing surveys
| Autor: | Lindsay J. King, Daniel H. Wesley, Katherine J. Mack |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2007 |
| Předmět: |
High Energy Physics - Theory
Physics Nuclear and High Energy Physics COSMIC cancer database Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Astrophysics (astro-ph) Strong gravitational lensing Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics FOS: Physical sciences Astronomy Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics Astrophysics LOFAR String (physics) Cosmology Cosmic string Gravitational lens High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th) Weak gravitational lensing |
| Zdroj: | Physical Review D. 76 |
| ISSN: | 1550-2368 1550-7998 |
| DOI: | 10.1103/physrevd.76.123515 |
| Popis: | We show that the existence of cosmic strings can be strongly constrained by the next generation of gravitational lensing surveys at radio frequencies. We focus on cosmic string loops, which simulations suggest would be far more numerous than long (horizon-sized) strings. Using simple models of the loop population and minimal assumptions about the lensing cross section per loop, we estimate the optical depth to lensing and show that extant radio surveys such as CLASS have already ruled out a portion of the cosmic string model parameter space. Future radio interferometers, such as LOFAR and especially SKA, may constrain $G��/c^2 < 10^{-9}$ in some regions of parameter space, outperforming current constraints from pulsar timing and the CMB by up to two orders of magnitude. This method relies on direct detections of cosmic strings, and so is less sensitive to the theoretical uncertainties in string network evolution that weaken other constraints. 20 pages, 3 figures. v3: Some clarification of text, revised figure, appendix added. Submitted to Phys. Rev. D |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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