Pre-Big-Bang Cosmology Cannot Explain NANOGrav 15-year Signal

Abstract

We investigate whether the Pre-Big Bang (PBB) scenario from string cosmology can explain the stochastic gravitational wave background signal reported in the NANOGrav 15-year dataset. Using Bayesian analysis techniques, we constrain the key parameters of the PBB model by comparing its theoretical predictions with the observed data. Our analysis yields $\beta = -0.12^{+0.06}_{-0.21}$ ($90\%$ credible interval) for the dilaton-dynamics parameter, which lies outside the theoretically allowed range $0 \leq \beta < 3$ with more than $5\sigma$ confidence. Additionally, model comparison strongly favors a simple power-law spectrum over the PBB scenario, with a Bayes factor of approximately $468$. These results demonstrate that the PBB scenario, in its current formulation, cannot adequately explain the NANOGrav observations, highlighting the need for either significant modifications to the model or alternative explanations for the observed signal.