More accurate gravitational wave backgrounds from cosmic strings
Phys. Rev. D 113, 083533 – Published 28 April, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/c6vr-nh41
Abstract
We derive a general procedure for calculating the gravitational wave background (GWB) from cosmic string loops whose typical shape evolves over time, as in gravitational backreaction. Using the results of a large-scale study of numerical gravitational backreaction on Nambu-Goto cosmic string loops, we construct GWBs of backreacted cosmic strings for a range of tensions and frequencies of cosmological interest and compare them to current and upcoming gravitational wave detectors. The GWBs are lower than prior predictions by anywhere from a few percent to around 30%, depending on the frequency and tension in question.
