Ely D. Kovetz

Did LIGO detect dark matter

We consider the possibility that the black-hole (BH) binary detected by LIGO may be a signature of dark matter. Interestingly enough, there remains a window for masses 20M_{⊙}≲M_{bh}≲100M_{⊙} where primordial black holes (PBHs) may constitute the dark matter. If two BHs in a galactic halo pass sufficiently close, they radiate enough energy in gravitational waves to become gravitationally bound. The bound BHs will rapidly spiral inward due to the emission of gravitational radiation and ultimately will merge. Uncertainties in the rate for such events arise from our imprecise knowledge of the phase-space structure of galactic halos on the smallest scales. Still, reasonable estimates span a range that overlaps the 2-53  Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1} rate estimated from GW150914, thus raising the possibility that LIGO has detected PBH dark matter. PBH mergers are likely to be distributed spatially more like dark matter than luminous matter and have neither optical nor neutrino counterparts. They may be distinguished from mergers of BHs from more traditional astrophysical sources through the observed mass spectrum, their high ellipticities, or their stochastic gravitational wave background. Next-generation experiments will be invaluable in performing these tests.

CMB-S4 Science Book, First Edition

This book lays out the scientific goals to be addressed by the next-generation ground-based cosmic microwave background experiment, CMB-S4, envisioned to consist of dedicated telescopes at the South Pole, the high Chilean Atacama plateau and possibly a northern hemisphere site, all equipped with new superconducting cameras. CMB-S4 will dramatically advance cosmological studies by crossing critical thresholds in the search for the B-mode polarization signature of primordial gravitational waves, in the determination of the number and masses of the neutrinos, in the search for evidence of new light relics, in constraining the nature of dark energy, and in testing general relativity on large scales.

The Quest for B Modes from Inflationary Gravitational Waves

The search for the curl component (B mode) in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization induced by inflationary gravitational waves is described. The canonical single-field slow-roll model of inflation is presented, and we explain the quantum production of primordial density perturbations and gravitational waves. It is shown how these gravitational waves then give rise to polarization in the CMB. We then describe the geometric decomposition of the CMB polarization pattern into a curl-free component (E mode) and curl component (B mode) and show explicitly that gravitational waves induce B modes. We discuss the B modes induced by gravitational lensing and by Galactic foregrounds and show how both are distinguished from those induced by inflationary gravitational waves. Issues involved in the experimental pursuit of these B modes are described, and we summarize some of the strategies being pursued. We close with a brief discussion of some other avenues toward detecting/characterizing the inflationar...

Inflection point inflation and time dependent potentials in string theory

We consider models of inflection point inflation. The main drawback of such models is that they suffer from the overshoot problem. Namely the initial condition should be fine tuned to be near the inflection point for the universe to inflate. We show that stringy realizations of inflection point inflation are common and offer a natural resolution to the overshoot problem.

Carbon monoxide intensity mapping at moderate redshifts

We present a study of the feasibility of an intensity-mapping survey targeting the 115 GHz CO(1-0) rotational transition at

Orbital eccentricities in primordial black hole binaries

z\sim3

Giant Rings in the Cosmic Microwave Background Sky

. We consider four possible models and estimate the spatial and angular power spectra of CO fluctuations predicted by each of them. The frequency bandwidths of most proposed CO intensity mapping spectrographs are too small to use the Limber approximation to calculate the angular power spectrum, so we present an alternative method for calculating the angular power spectrum. The models we consider span two orders of magnitude in signal amplitude, so there is a significant amount of uncertainty in the theoretical predictions of this signal. We then consider a parameterized set of hypothetical spectrographs designed to measure this power spectrum and predict the signal-to-noise ratios expected under these models. With the spectrographs we consider we find that three of the four models give an SNR greater than 10 within one year of observation. We also study the effects on SNR of varying the parameters of the survey in order to demonstrate the importance of carefully considering survey parameters when planning such an experiment.

Studying the Peculiar Velocity Bulk Flow in a Sparse Survey of Type-Ia SNe

It was recently suggested that the merger of

Merger rate of primordial black-hole binaries

\ensuremath{\sim}30\text{ }\text{ }{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}

Heating of baryons due to scattering with dark matter during the dark ages

primordial black holes (PBHs) may provide a significant number of events in gravitational-wave observatories over the next decade, if they make up an appreciable fraction of the dark matter. Here we show that measurement of the eccentricities of the inspiralling binary black holes can be used to distinguish these binaries from those produced by more traditional astrophysical mechanisms. These PBH binaries are formed on highly eccentric orbits and can then merge on time scales that in some cases are years or less, retaining some eccentricity in the last seconds before the merger. This is to be contrasted with massive-stellar-binary, globular-cluster, or other astrophysical origins for binary black holes (BBHs) in which the orbits have very effectively circularized by the time the BBH enters the observable LIGO window. Here we discuss the features of the gravitational-wave signals that indicate this eccentricity and forecast the sensitivity of LIGO and the Einstein Telescope to such effects. We show that if PBHs make up the dark matter, then roughly one event should have a detectable eccentricity given LIGOs expected sensitivity and observing time of six years. The Einstein Telescope should see