Gravitational waves (GWs) have a great potential to probe cosmology. We review early universe sources that can lead to cosmological backgrounds of GWs. We begin by presenting proper definitions of GWs in flat space-time and in a cosmological setting (section 2). Following, we discuss the reasons why early universe GW backgrounds are of a stochastic nature, and describe the general properties of a stochastic background (section 3). We recap current observational constraints on stochastic backgrounds, and discuss the basic characteristics of present and future GW detectors, including advanced LIGO, advanced Virgo, the Einstein telescope, KAGRA, and LISA (section 4). We then review in detail early universe GW generation mechanisms, as well as the properties of the GW backgrounds they give rise to. We classify the backgrounds in five categories: GWs from quantum vacuum fluctuations during standard slow-roll inflation (section 5), GWs from processes that operate within extensions of the standard inflationary paradigm (section 6), GWs from post-inflationary preheating and related non-perturbative phenomena (section 7), GWs from first order phase transitions related or not to the electroweak symmetry breaking (section 8), and GWs from general topological defects, and from cosmic strings in particular (section 9). The phenomenology of these early universe processes is extremely rich, and some of the GW backgrounds they generate can be within the reach of near-future GW detectors. A future detection of any of these backgrounds will provide crucial information on the underlying high energy theory describing the early universe, probing energy scales well beyond the reach of particle accelerators.

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6382/aac608/pdf

Cosmological Backgrounds of Gravitational Waves

We report the first results of the LISA Pathfinder in-flight experiment. The results demonstrate that two free-falling reference test masses, such as those needed for a space-based gravitational wave observatory like LISA, can be put in free fall with a relative acceleration noise with a square root of the power spectral density of 5.2 +/- 0.1 fm s(exp -2)/square root of Hz, or (0.54 +/- 0.01) x 10(exp -15) g/square root of Hz, with g the standard gravity, for frequencies between 0.7 and 20 mHz. This value is lower than the LISA Pathfinder requirement by more than a factor 5 and within a factor 1.25 of the requirement for the LISA mission, and is compatible with Brownian noise from viscous damping due to the residual gas surrounding the test masses. Above 60 mHz the acceleration noise is dominated by interferometer displacement readout noise at a level of (34.8 +/- 0.3) fm square root of Hz, about 2 orders of magnitude better than requirements. At f less than or equal to 0.5 mHz we observe a low-frequency tail that stays below 12 fm s(exp -2)/square root of Hz down to 0.1 mHz. This performance would allow for a space-based gravitational wave observatory with a sensitivity close to what was originally foreseen for LISA.

/pdf/sub-femto-g-free-fall-for-space-based-gravitational-wave-1b27ej2js9.pdf

Sub-Femto-g Free Fall for Space-Based Gravitational Wave Observatories: LISA Pathfinder Results

We investigate the potential for the LISA space-based interferometer to detect the stochastic gravitational wave background produced from different mechanisms during inflation. Focusing on well-motivated scenarios, we study the resulting contributions from particle production during inflation, inflationary spectator fields with varying speed of sound, effective field theories of inflation with specific patterns of symmetry breaking and models leading to the formation of primordial black holes. The projected sensitivities of LISA are used in a model-independent way for various detector designs and configurations. We demonstrate that LISA is able to probe these well-motivated inflationary scenarios beyond the irreducible vacuum tensor modes expected from any inflationary background.

/pdf/science-with-the-space-based-interferometer-lisa-iv-probing-x22adkw9tk.pdf

Science with the space-based interferometer LISA. IV: probing inflation with gravitational waves

According to the weak equivalence principle, all bodies should fall at the same rate in a gravitational field. The MICROSCOPE satellite, launched in April 2016, aims to test its validity at the 10−15 precision level, by measuring the force required to maintain two test masses (of titanium and platinum alloys) exactly in the same orbit.
A nonvanishing result would correspond to a violation of the equivalence principle, or to the discovery of a new long-range force. Analysis of the first data gives δ(Ti; Pt)=[-1+/-9(stat)+/-9(syst)] × 10−15 (1σ statistical uncertainty) for the titanium-platinum Eotvos parameter characterizing the relative difference in their free-fall accelerations.

MICROSCOPE Mission: First Results of a Space Test of the Equivalence Principle.

We review detection methods that are currently in use or have been proposed to search for a stochastic background of gravitational radiation. We consider both Bayesian and frequentist searches using ground-based and space-based laser interferometers, spacecraft Doppler tracking, and pulsar timing arrays; and we allow for anisotropy, non-Gaussianity, and non-standard polarization states. Our focus is on relevant data analysis issues, and not on the particular astrophysical or early Universe sources that might give rise to such backgrounds. We provide a unified treatment of these searches at the level of detector response functions, detection sensitivity curves, and, more generally, at the level of the likelihood function, since the choice of signal and noise models and prior probability distributions are actually what define the search. Pedagogical examples are given whenever possible to compare and contrast different approaches. We have tried to make the article as self-contained and comprehensive as possible, targeting graduate students and new researchers looking to enter this field.

/pdf/detection-methods-for-stochastic-gravitational-wave-23aliito0n.pdf

Detection methods for stochastic gravitational-wave backgrounds: a unified treatment

High-resolution temperature measurements are required in the LTP, i.e., 10 μK Hz ―1/2 from 1 mHz to 30 mHz. This has already been accomplished with thermistors and a suitable low noise electronics. However, the frequency range of interest for LISA goes down to 0.1 mHz. Investigations on the performance of temperature sensors and the associated electronics at frequencies around 0.1 mHz have been performed. Theoretical limits of the temperature measurement system and the practical on-ground limitations to test them are shown demonstrating that 1/f noise is not observed in thermistors even at frequencies around 0.1 mHz and amplitude levels of 10 μK Hz ―1/2 .

Extension of the LTP temperature diagnostics to the LISA band: first results

The OSE (Offline Simulations Environment) simulator of the LPF (LISA Pathfinder) mission is intended to simulate the different experiments to be carried out in flight. Amongst these, the thermal diagnostics experiments are intended to relate thermal disturbances and interferometer readouts, thereby allowing the subtraction of thermally induced interferences from the interferometer channels. In this paper we report on the modelling of these simulated experiments, including the parametrisation of different thermal effects (radiation pressure effect, radiometer effect) that will appear in the Inertial Sensor environment of the LTP (LISA Technology Package). We report as well how these experiments are going to be implemented in the LTPDA toolbox, which is a dedicated tool for LPF data analysis that will allow full traceability and reproducibility of the analysis thanks to complete recording of the processes.

/pdf/state-space-modelling-for-heater-induced-thermal-effects-on-25yspxk602.pdf

State-space modelling for heater induced thermal effects on LISA Pathfinder's Test Masses

We present measurements of an optomechanical accelerometer for monitoring low-frequency noise in gravitational wave detectors, such as ground motion. Our device measures accelerations by tracking the test-mass motion of a 4.7 Hz mechanical resonator using a heterodyne interferometer. This resonator is etched from monolithic fused silica, an under-explored design in low-frequency sensors, allowing a device with a noise floor competitive with existing technologies but with a lighter and more compact form. In addition, our heterodyne interferometer is a compact optical assembly that can be integrated directly into the mechanical resonator wafer to further reduce the overall size of our accelerometer. We anticipate this accelerometer to perform competitively with commercial seismometers, and benchtop measurements show a noise floor reaching 82 pico- g Hz−1/2 sensitivities at 0.4 Hz. Furthermore, we present the effects of air pressure, laser fluctuations, and temperature to determine the stability requirements needed to achieve thermally limited measurements.

Compact optomechanical accelerometers for use in gravitational wave detectors

The design of the Radiation Monitor in the LISA Technology Package on board LISA Pathfinder is based on two silicon PIN diodes, placed parallel to each other in a telescopic configuration. One of them will be able to record spectral information of the particle hitting the diode. A test campaign for the Flight Model Radiation Monitor is proposed to verify its performance. This paper shows the results obtained with a simulated flight model geometry using GEANT4, to be compared with the real data that will be obtained in a proton irradiation facility.

Proton irradiation test on the flight model radiation monitor for LISA Pathfinder

The Diagnostic Subsytem in the LISA Technology Package (LTP) on board the LISA Pathfinder mission (LPF) will characterise those external disturbances with a potential impact on the performance of the experiment coming from either thermal, magnetic or charged particles perturbations. A correct design of the experiments to measure these effects in flight requires a closed loop analysis that takes into account the dynamics of the test masses, the force applied by the controllers and those noisy terms (coming from sensing or force noise) that enters into the loop. We describe this analysis in the thermal case and we give a first numerical example of the instrument response to controlled thermal inputs.

J Sanjuán

Papers

Extension of the LTP temperature diagnostics to the LISA band: first results

State-space modelling for heater induced thermal effects on LISA Pathfinder's Test Masses

Compact optomechanical accelerometers for use in gravitational wave detectors

Proton irradiation test on the flight model radiation monitor for LISA Pathfinder

Thermal coupling within LTP dynamics control loop