Gravitational-Wave Lunar Observatory for Cosmology
Several large-scale experimental facilities and space-missions are being suggested to probe the universe across the gravitational-wave (GW) spectrum. Here we propose Gravitational-wave Lunar Observatory for Cosmology (GLOC) – the first concept design in the NASA Artemis era for a GW observatory on the Moon. We find that a lunar-based observatory is ideal for probing GW frequencies in the range between deci-Hz to 5 Hz, an astrophysically rich regime that is very challenging for both Earth- and space-based detectors. GLOC can survey ≳70% of the observable volume of our universe without significant background contamination. Its unprecedented sensitivity would trace the Hubble expansion rate up to redshift z∼3 and test General Relativity and ΛCDM cosmology up to z∼100.
Karan Jani, Abraham Loeb
Comments: Submitted to the Physical Review Letters
Subjects: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc); Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO); High Energy Physics – Phenomenology (hep-ph)
Cite as: arXiv:2007.08550 [gr-qc] (or arXiv:2007.08550v1 [gr-qc] for this version)
Submission history
From: Karan Jani
[v1] Thu, 16 Jul 2020 18:16:21 UTC (4,530 KB)
