Can dark energy be gravitational waves?
(May 2, 2013)Abstract
The idea that dark energy is gravitational waves may explain its strength and
its time-evolution. A possible concept is that dark energy is the ensemble of
coherent bursts (solitons) of gravitational waves originally produced when the
first generation of super-massive black holes was formed. These solitons get
their initial energy as well as keep up their energy density throughout the
evolution of the universe by stimulating emission from a background, a process
which we model by working out this energy transfer in a Boltzmann equation
approach. New Planck data suggest that dark energy has increased in strength
over cosmic time, supporting the concept here. The transit of these
gravitational wave solitons may be detectable. Key tests include pulsar timing,
clock jitter and the radio background.