Effects of a Late Gravitational Transition on Gravitational Waves and Anticipated Constraints

Abstract

We investigate the evolution of gravitational waves through discontinuous evolution (transition) of the Hubble expansion rate H(z) at a sudden cosmological singularity, which may be due to a transition of the value of the gravitational constant. We find the evolution of the scale factor and the gravitational wave waveform through the singularity by imposing the proper boundary conditions. We also use existing cosmological data and mock data of future gravitational wave experiments (the ET) to impose current and anticipated constraints on the magnitude of such a transition. We show that mock data of the Einstein Telescope can reduce the uncertainties by up to a factor of three depending on the cosmological parameter considered.