Probing the gravitational wave background from cosmic strings with the alternative LISA-TAIJI network

Abstract

AbstractAs one of the detection targets of all gravitational wave detectors today, the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) provides an important means of understanding the evolution of our universe. In this paper, we explore the feasibility of detecting the SGWB generated by the loops arising throughout the cosmological evolution of the cosmic string network, using both individual space detectors (LISA and TAIJI) and joint space detectors (LISA-TAIJI). For the joint detectors, we choose three different configurations of TAIJI, namely TAIJIm, TAIJIp, and TAIJIc, to form the LISA-TAIJI networks, and we investigate their ability to detect the SGWB. By comparing the power-law sensitivity (PLS) curves of individual space detectors and joint detectors with the energy density spectrum of SGWB, we find that LISA-TAIJIc has the best sensitivity for detecting the SGWB from cosmic string loops. It thus holds promise for further constraining the tension of cosmic strings $$G\mu =O(10^{-17})$$ G μ = O ( 10 - 17 ) .