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Can the Gravitational Wave Background from Inflation be Detected Locally?

Andrew R Liddle
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Abstract

The Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) detection of microwave background anisotropies may contain a component due to gravitational waves generated by inflation. It is shown that the gravitational waves from inflation might be seen using `beam-in-space' detectors, but not the Laser Interferometer Gravity Wave Observatory (LIGO). The central conclusion, dependent only on weak assumptions regarding the physics of inflation, is a surprising one. The larger the component of the COBE signal due to gravitational waves, the {\em smaller} the expected local gravitational wave signal.

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Andrew R Liddle. 1993-07-26. Can the Gravitational Wave Background from Inflation be Detected Locally?. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.49.3805%2010.1103%2Fphysrevd.51.4603

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