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PreprintCC BY 4.0arXiv

Evolution of Cosmic String Loops under Gravitational Backreaction

  • Lasse Gerblich
  • Richard A. Battye
  • E. P. S. Shellard
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Abstract

Nambu-Goto cosmic string loops generically develop cusps, points where the string momentarily reaches the speed of light. These cusps produce strong gravitational wave bursts with a characteristic strain spectrum h̃(ω)∝ (Gμ) ω−4/3, making them prime targets for gravitational wave searches, where μ is the string mass per unit length. However, this picture is modified when one accounts for gravitational backreaction. Using a convenient gauge, we reformulate the Nambu-Goto equations of motion for a loop moving in its own dynamically sourced gravitational field, enabling the first continuous numerical evolution of loops under this backreaction. A key finding is that locally cusps survive backreaction. Nevertheless, the gravitational waveform calculated in this formalism is significantly modified, weakening the cusp burst and introducing a high-frequency cutoff at fc∝(Gμ)−3/2. This suppression above fc reduces the expected signal-to-noise ratio in current and near-future detectors relative to unperturbed waveform predictions.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{gerblich2026evolution,
  title = {{Evolution of Cosmic String Loops under Gravitational Backreaction}},
  author = {Lasse Gerblich and Richard A. Battye and E. P. S. Shellard},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2608.31163},
  eprint = {2608.31163},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.31163},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - Evolution of Cosmic String Loops under Gravitational Backreaction
AU  - Lasse Gerblich
AU  - Richard A. Battye
AU  - E. P. S. Shellard
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/31
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2608.31163
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.31163
AB  - Nambu-Goto cosmic string loops generically develop cusps, points where the string momentarily reaches the speed of light. These cusps produce strong gravitational wave bursts with a characteristic strain spectrum h̃(ω)∝ (Gμ) ω^−4/3, making them prime targets for gravitational wave searches, where μ is the string mass per unit length. However, this picture is modified when one accounts for gravitational backreaction. Using a convenient gauge, we reformulate the Nambu-Goto equations of motion for a loop moving in its own dynamically sourced gravitational field, enabling the first continuous numerical evolution of loops under this backreaction. A key finding is that locally cusps survive backreaction. Nevertheless, the gravitational waveform calculated in this formalism is significantly modified, weakening the cusp burst and introducing a high-frequency cutoff at f_c∝(Gμ)^−3/2. This suppression above f_c reduces the expected signal-to-noise ratio in current and near-future detectors relative to unperturbed waveform predictions.
ER  -