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Curvature Perturbations from First-Order Phase Transitions: Implications to Black Holes and Gravitational Waves
Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 171404 – Published 30 April, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/tfcx-kzqx
Abstract
Understanding whether primordial black holes form during strong first-order phase transition (FOPT) is a crucial open question in cosmology. We address this using a fully covariant formalism to study cosmological perturbations, highlighting previously overlooked gauge dependencies. We show that non-covariant treatments can overestimate primordial black holes and scalar-induced gravitational waves. Once gauge dependencies are accounted for, both signals are strongly suppressed, with direct implications for the FOPT interpretation of the Pulsar Timing Array signal.
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