Detectability of the primordial origin of the gravitational wave background in the Universe

Abstract

The appearance of peaks in various primordial fluctuation Fourier power spectra is a generic prediction of the inflationary scenario. We investigate whether future experiments, in particular the satellite experiment PLANCK, will be able to detect the possible appearance of these peaks in the B-mode polarization multipole power spectrum. This would yield a conclusive proof of the presence of a primordial background of gravitational waves.

Comments: 4 pages, 1 figure, version accepted for publication in A&A. Conclusions unchanged