The Dark Side of the Moon: Listening to Scalar-Induced Gravitational Waves

Abstract

The collapse of large-amplitude primordial curvature perturbations into planetary-mass primordial black holes generates a scalar-induced gravitational wave background in the $μ$Hz frequency range that may be detectable by future Lunar Laser Ranging and Satellite Laser Ranging data. We derive projected constraints on the primordial black hole population from a null detection of stochastic gravitational wave background by these experiments, including the impact of the standard model electroweak phase transition on the abundance of planetary-mass primordial black holes. We also discuss the connection between the obtained projected constraints and the recent microlensing observations by the HSC collaboration of the Andromeda Galaxy.