Cosmological Backgrounds of Gravitational Waves and eLISA

Abstract

We review cosmological backgrounds of gravitational waves with a particular attention to the scientific potential of the eLISA/NGO mission. After an overview of cosmological backgrounds and detectors, we consider different cosmological sources that could lead to an observable signal. We then study the backgrounds produced by first-order phase transitions and networks of cosmic strings, assessing the prospects for their detection.

Comments: 11 pages, to appear in the proceedings of the 9th LISA Symposium