Probing Cosmic Strings with Gravitational-Wave Fringe

Abstract

Cosmic strings are important remnants of early-Universe phase transitions. We show that they can be probed by Gravitational Waves (GWs) from compact binary mergers. If such chirping GW passes by a cosmic string, it is gravitationally lensed and left with a characteristic signal of the lensing -- the GW fringe. It is observable naturally through the frequency chirping of GWs. This allows to probe cosmic strings with small tension $\Delta =8\pi G\mu =10^{-6}\text{ – }10^{-10}$, just below the current constraint, at high-frequency LIGO-band and mid-band detectors. Although its detection rates are estimated to be small, even a single detection can be used to identify a cosmic string. Contrary to the stochastic GW produced from loop decays only in local $U(1)$ models, the GW fringe can directly probe straight strings model independently. This is also complementary to the existing probes with the strong lensing of light.

Discussions added and improved; conclusion neutralized; figures revised. 22 pages, 4 figures

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