• Corpus ID: 118982077

Astro2020 Science White Paper: Cosmology with a Space-Based Gravitational Wave Observatory

@article{Caldwell2019Astro2020SW,
  title={Astro2020 Science White Paper: Cosmology with a Space-Based Gravitational Wave Observatory},
  author={Robert R. Caldwell and Mustafa A. Amin and Craig Hogan and Kelly Holley-Bockelmann and Daniel E. Holz and Ph. Jetzer and Ely D. Kovetz and Priyamvada Natarajan and David P. Shoemaker and Tristan L. Smith and Nicola Tamanini},
  journal={arXiv: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics},
  year={2019}
}

• R. Caldwell, M. Amin, +8 authors N. Tamanini
• Published 11 March 2019
• Physics
• arXiv: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

There are two big questions cosmologists would like to answer -- How does the Universe work, and what are its origin and destiny? A long wavelength gravitational wave detector -- with million km interferometer arms, achievable only from space -- gives a unique opportunity to address both of these questions. A sensitive, mHz frequency observatory could use the inspiral and merger of massive black hole binaries as standard sirens, extending our ability to characterize the expansion history of the Universe from the onset of dark energy-domination out to a redshift z ~ 10. A low-frequency detector, furthermore, offers the best chance for discovery of exotic gravitational wave sources, including a primordial stochastic background, that could reveal clues to the origin of our Universe.