Primordial Gravitational Waves in the Cosmic Bubble Chamber

Abstract

We explore the effect of relic gravitational waves on the primordial phase change from the quark-gluon plasma into the low density hadron gas that occurred approximately $10^{-5}$s after the beginning. We show that the gravitational wave, through doing work on the fluid, modulates the local volumes, causing a pressure modulation which either suppresses or boosts the bubble cavitation rate. The boosted rate is significant, implying that the phase transition could have occurred earlier than if this interaction is not considered.