High-frequency thermal graviton remnant from the end of inflation

Abstract The standard inflationary theory focuses on the freezing of super-horizon fluctuations, which generate a scale-invariant spectrum, while the sub-horizon modes are expected to remain in thermal equilibrium based on the perspective of quantum thermodynamics of the de Sitter Universe from (Alicki et al 2023 Phys.Rev.D 108 123530). Given this framework, we investigate a concrete observable consequence of the graviton remnant originating from this thermal horizon radiation released at the end of inflation. Unlike the stochastic background from super-horizon fluctuations, this signal might represent a snapshot of the thermal dS state, which subsequently decouples and undergoes cosmological redshift. We present a semi-analytical approximation prediction for this relic background, typically peaking in near MHz band, with characteristic energy density of log 10 ⁡ ( Ω G h 2 ) ∼ O ( − 18 ) . These signals occupy a high-frequency band, offering a potential novel probe of the reheating temperature and the thermal history of the early Universe.