articleReviews of Modern PhysicsJan 8, 2025GREEN OA

Using gravitational waves to see the first second of the Universe

RRRishav RoshanGWGraham White

University of Southampton

Indexed incrossref

Abstract

Gravitational waves open a unique window on the earliest times in cosmology because the dense primordial plasma, impenetrable to light or neutrinos, is transparent to gravitational waves up to the instant of the birth of the Universe. This review discusses the possible signals from the phase transitions, topological defects, and other cosmological sources, as well as a range of strategies for detection of the stochastic gravitational waves produced by the earliest events in the history of the Universe.

Citation impact

50
total citations
FWCI
46.55
Percentile
100%
References
827
Citations per year

Authors

2

Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Physics
  • Gravitational wave
  • Universe
  • Gravitation
  • Astronomy
  • Gravitational-wave observatory
  • Theoretical physics
  • Classical mechanics
No related works found for this paper.

Funding