In 2023, scientists discovered nanohertz gravitational waves, but their origin is still a mystery. There is a hypothesis that these waves originated from a first-order phase transition when the structure of the Universe changed during its expansion and cooling. However, new research questions this assumption.
Some scientists believe that these low-frequency waves appeared because of a phase transition that occurred shortly after the Big Bang. And this process, among other things, has generated all the fundamental particles known to date.
However, there is an important detail. Studies show that to form waves with such low frequencies, the transition must be extremely cold. This poses a problem because supercooled transitions occur slower than the Universe is expanding, making their realization unlikely.
If the process was accelerated in the latter stages, it could change the frequency of the waves, eliminating them from the nanohertz range. Hence, it is probable that nanohertz gravitational waves are not associated with supercooled phase transitions.
If such waves really occur due to first-order phase transitions, it would mean that new physics would have to be discovered to explain this phenomenon.
The results of the study emphasize the need for a more thorough analysis of ultracold transitions. Their slowness makes traditional methods of determining completeness ineffective, requiring the development of new, more accurate methods.
The relationship between the energy scale of transitions and wave frequency is complex, so a careful approach is required to investigate gravitational waves and ultracold transitions. Understanding this question will contribute to a better understanding of the origin of the Universe, and will also help in the study of various phenomena such as water penetration through rock, coffee filtration, and the spread of forest fires.
Earlier we reported on how the mystery of the Antikythera mechanism was solved thanks to gravitational waves.
According to techexplorist.com
