Chemistry

Gravitational wave

Biochemistry

Physics

Omega

Gravitation

Operator (biology)

Pure mathematics

Dispersion relation

Mathematics

Mathematical physics

Lorentz transformation

Gene

Graviton

Quartic function

Quantum mechanics

Particle physics

Lorentz covariance

Transcription factor

Repressor

Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

We study the decay of gravitational waves into dark energy fluctuations $\pi$, through the processes $\gamma \to \pi\pi$ and $\gamma \to \gamma \pi$, made possible by the spontaneous breaking of Lorentz invariance. Within the EFT of Dark Energy (or Horndeski/beyond Horndeski theories) the first process is large for the operator $\frac12 \tilde m_4^2(t) \, \delta g^{00}\, \left( {}^{(3)}\! R + \delta K_\mu^\nu \delta K^\mu_\nu -\delta K^2 \right)$, so that the recent observations force $\tilde m_4 =0$ (or equivalently $\alpha_{\rm H}=0$). This constraint, together with the requirement that gravitational waves travel at the speed of light, rules out all quartic and quintic GLPV theories. Additionally, we study how the same couplings affect the propagation of gravitons at loop order. The operator proportional to $\tilde m_4^2$ generates a calculable, non-Lorentz invariant higher-derivative correction to the graviton propagation. The modification of the dispersion relation provides a bound on $\tilde m_4^2$ comparable to the one of the decay. Conversely, operators up to cubic Horndeski do not generate sizeable higher-derivative corrections.

Gravitational wave decay into dark energy