Wall fluctuation modes and tensor CMB anisotropy in open inflation models

Abstract

We calculate the spectrum of large angle cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies due to quantum fluctuations of the gravitational wave modes in one-bubble open inflation models. We find the bubble-wall fluctuation modes, which had been thought to exist discretely in previous analyses, are actually contained in the continuous spectrum of gravitational wave modes when the gravitational coupling is correctly taken into account. Then we find that the spectrum of the tensor CMB anisotropy can be decomposed into the part due to the wall fluctuation modes and that due to the usual gravitational wave modes in a way which is almost model-independent, even when the gravitational coupling is strong. We also discuss observational constraints on the model parameters. We find that an appreciable portion of the parameter space is excluded but the remaining allowable region is still wide enough to leave the one-bubble scenario viable.