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Probing gravitational-wave four-point correlators

Martina Ciprini*, Maria Lucia Marcelli†, and Gianmassimo Tasinato‡

  • *Contact author: martina.ciprini@studio.unibo.it
  • †Contact author: marialucia.marcelli@studio.unibo.it
  • ‡Contact author: g.tasinato2208@gmail.com
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Phys. Rev. D 113, 103544 – Published 28 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/3pd3-r3x8

Abstract

Stochastic gravitational-wave backgrounds (SGWBs) of primordial origin offer a powerful probe of early-Universe physics and possible dark-sector dynamics. While most searches focus on the GW power spectrum, additional information is encoded in higher-order correlators that characterize the statistical properties of the signal. In this work we study non-Gaussian features of a cosmological SGWB generated at second order by vector fluctuations, a class of sources well motivated in early-Universe scenarios. Within this framework we develop tools to characterize higher-order GW correlators and compute representative four-point functions that generate a connected contribution to the GW trispectrum. We show that the trispectrum amplitude scales as the square of the GW power spectrum and peaks in characteristic folded momentum configurations, reflecting the structure of the nonlinear source. We then explore the observational implications. First, we demonstrate that the connected trispectrum contributes to the variance of two-point overlap reduction functions, including the Hellings-Downs curve relevant for pulsar timing arrays. We then construct the optimal estimator to measure the connected trispectrum with ground-based interferometers. Our results highlight how non-Gaussian SGWB statistics provide a complementary observable to probe the origin of GW backgrounds and to distinguish cosmological from astrophysical sources.

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Phys. Rev. D 113, 103544– Published 28 May, 2026
  • Received 22 March 2026
  • Accepted 14 May 2026
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