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arXiv · 2504.17533

High-Frequency Thermal Graviton Remnant from the End of Inflation

Chen-Hao Wu·Xiao Liang·Ya-Peng Hu
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Abstract

The standard inflationary theory focuses on the freezing of super-horizon fluctuations, which generate a scale-invariant spectrum, while the sub-horizon modes are expected to remain in thermal equilibrium. Building upon recent development of quantum thermodynamics of the de Sitter universe, we investigate the graviton remnant originating from this thermal horizon radiation released at the end of inflation. Unlike the stochastic background from super-horizon fluctuations, this signal represents a snapshot of the thermal dS state, which subsequently decouples and undergoes cosmological redshift. We present a semi-analytical approximation prediction for this relic background, typically peaking in near MHz band, with characteristic energy density of $\log_{10}(\Omega_{\rm G} h^2) \sim \mathcal{O}(-18)$. These signals occupy a High-Frequency band, offering a potential novel probe of the reheating temperature and the thermal history of the early universe.

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Chen-Hao Wu, Xiao Liang, Ya-Peng Hu. 2025-04-24. High-Frequency Thermal Graviton Remnant from the End of Inflation. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6382%2Fae7d7f

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