Probability of inflation in loop quantum cosmology

Inflationary models of the early universe provide a natural mechanism for the formation of large scale structure. This success brings to forefront the question of naturalness: Does a sufficiently long slow roll inflation occur generically or does it require a careful fine tuning of initial parameters? In recent years there has been considerable controversy on this issue (Hollands and Wald in Gen Relativ Gravit, 34:2043, 2002; Kofman et al. in J High Energy Phys 10:057, 2002); (Gibbons and Turok in Phys Rev D 77:063516, 2008). In particular, for a quadratic potential, Kofman et al. (J High Energy Phys 10:057, 2002) have argued that the probability of inflation with at least 65 e-foldings is close to one, while Gibbons and Turok (Phys Rev D 77:063516, 2008) have argued that this probability is suppressed by a factor of ~10⁻⁸⁵. We first clarify that such dramatically different predictions can arise because the required measure on the space of solutions is intrinsically ambiguous in general relativity. We then show that this ambiguity can be naturally resolved in loop quantum cosmology (LQC) because the big bang is replaced by a big bounce and the bounce surface can be used to introduce the structure necessary to specify a satisfactory measure. The second goal of the paper is to present a detailed analysis of the inflationary dynamics of LQC using analytical and numerical methods. By combining this information with the measure on the space of solutions, we address a sharper question than those investigated in Kofman et al. (J High Energy Phys 10:057, 2002), Gibbons and Turok (Phys Rev D 77:063516, 2008), Ashtekar and Sloan (Phys Lett B 694:108, 2010): What is the probability of a sufficiently long slow roll inflation which is compatible with the seven year WMAP data? We show that the probability is very close to 1. The material is so organized that cosmologists who may be more interested in the inflationary dynamics in LQC than in the subtleties associated with measures can skip that material without loss of continuity.     

Ground State at High Density

Weak limits as the density tends to infinity of classical ground states of integrable pair potentials are shown to minimize the mean-field energy functional. By studying the latter we derive global properties of high-density ground state configurations in bounded domains and in infinite space. Our main result is a theorem stating that for interactions having a strictly positive Fourier transform the distribution of particles tends to be uniform as the density increases, while high-density ground states show some pattern if the Fourier transform is partially negative. The latter confirms the conclusion of earlier studies by Vlasov (in J. Phys. (USSR) IX:25–40, 1945), Kirzhnits and Nepomnyashchii (in Sov. Phys. JETP 32:1191–1197, 1971), and Likos et al. (in J. Chem. Phys. 126:224502, 2007). Other results include the proof that there is no Bravais lattice among high-density ground states of interactions whose Fourier transform has a negative part and the potential diverges or has a cusp at zero. We also show that in the ground state configurations of the penetrable sphere model particles are superimposed on the sites of a close-packed lattice.     

A Microscopic Derivation of the Time-Dependent Hartree-Fock Equation with Coulomb Two-Body Interaction

We study the dynamics of a Fermi gas with a Coulomb interaction potential, and show that, in a mean-field regime, the dynamics is described by the Hartree-Fock equation. This extends previous work of Bardos et al. [J. Math. Pures Appl. 82(6):665–683, 2003] to the case of unbounded interaction potentials. We also express the mean-field limit as a “superhamiltonian” system, and state our main result in terms of the Heisenberg-picture dynamics of observables. This is a Egorov-type theorem.     

Inflation with hyperbolic potential in the braneworld model

In this paper we study inflationary dynamics with a scalar field in an inverse coshyperbolic potential in the braneworld model. We note that a sufficient inflation may be obtained with the potential considering slow-roll approximation in the high energy limit. We determine the minimum values of the initial inflaton field required to obtain sufficient inflation and also determine the relevant inflationary parameters. The numerical values of spectral index of the scalar perturbation spectrum are determined by varying the number of e-foldings for different initial values of the inflaton field. The result obtained here is in good agreement with the current observational limits.      

Wegner-type Bounds for a Two-particle Lattice Model with a Generic “Rough” Quasi-periodic Potential

In this paper, we consider a class of two-particle tight-binding Hamiltonians, describing pairs of interacting quantum particles on the lattice ℤ ^d , d ≥ 1, subject to a common external potential V(x) which we assume quasi-periodic and depending on auxiliary parameters. Such parametric families of ergodic deterministic potentials (“grands ensembles”) have been introduced earlier in Chulaevsky (2007), in the framework of single-particle lattice systems, where it was proved that a non-uniform analog of the Wegner bound holds true for a class of quasi-periodic grands ensembles. Using the approach proposed in Chulaevsky and Suhov (Commun Math Phys 283(2):479–489, 2008), we establish volume-dependent Wegner-type bounds for a class of quasi-periodic two-particle lattice systems with a non-random short-range interaction.     

Inflationary models with exponential potentials

In this paper we consider cosmological models containing a self-interacting scalar field possessing a potential of the form V(φ) = Λ exp(−λφ). We investigate the inflationary nature of the model in an (N + 1)-dimensional Friedman space-time as well as in some (3 + 1)-dimensional anisotropic cosmological models. We determine the conditions under which power-law inflation occurs by a detailed stability analysis which determines all possible asymptotic behaviour. We also present some new exact solutions which exhibit the transition to power-law inflation. We determine the range of evolutionary behaviours in each case for all λ ⩾ 0 and find the range of λ values for which power-law inflation occurs. We also discuss how potentials of the exponential type may arise in realistic models of the early universe.     

Kinetic Models with Randomly Perturbed Binary Collisions

We introduce a class of Kac-like kinetic equations on the real line, with general random collisional rules which, in some special cases, identify models for granular gases with a background heat bath (Carrillo et al. in Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst. 24(1):59–81, 2009), and models for wealth redistribution in an agent-based market (Bisi et al. in Commun. Math. Sci. 7:901–916, 2009). Conditions on these collisional rules which guarantee both the existence and uniqueness of equilibrium profiles and their main properties are found. The characterization of these stationary states is of independent interest, since we show that they are stationary solutions of different evolution problems, both in the kinetic theory of rarefied gases (Cercignani et al. in J. Stat. Phys. 105:337–352, 2001; Villani in J. Stat. Phys. 124:781–822, 2006) and in the econophysical context (Bisi et al. in Commun. Math. Sci. 7:901–916, 2009).     

Description of Heavy Quark [`(MS)]\overline{MS} Mass by Lippmann-Schwinger Equation

Quark masses are of great prominence in high-energy physics. In this paper, we have studied the heavy meson systems via solving the Lippmann-Schwinger equation by using the Martin potential for heavy quark masses. We have also attempted to use Martin potential to find an acceptable mass spectrum for heavy quarkonia. We obtained this spectrum via minimal phenomenological model (Melles in Phys. Rev. D. 62:074019, 2000).     

SUGRA hybrid inflation with shift symmetry

We propose a solution to the η  -problem in supergravity (SUGRA) hybrid inflation using a Nambu–Goldstone-like shift symmetry within a new class of models. The flatness of the tree-level inflaton potential is ensured by shift symmetry invariance of the Kähler potential, while a small symmetry breaking term in the superpotential gives rise to a slope of the potential at loop-level. In the proposed class of inflation models, potentially dangerous couplings between the inflaton and the moduli sector are avoided. We also discuss under which conditions the predicted spectral index can be in agreement with the best-fit-value of the latest WMAP observation ns∼0.96$n_{\mathrm{s}}\sim 0.96$, corresponding to a hilltop-type inflaton potential at loop-level.     

Fluctuation Bounds in the Exponential Bricklayers Process

This paper is the continuation of our earlier paper (Balázs et al. in Ann. Inst. Henri Poincaré Probab. Stat. 48(1):151–187, 2012), where we proved t ^1/3-order of current fluctuations across the characteristics in a class of one dimensional interacting systems with one conserved quantity. We also claimed two models with concave hydrodynamic flux which satisfied the assumptions which made our proof work. In the present note we show that the totally asymmetric exponential bricklayers process also satisfies these assumptions. Hence this is the first example with convex hydrodynamics of a model with t ^1/3-order current fluctuations across the characteristics. As such, it further supports the idea of universality regarding this scaling.     

Inflation at the TeV scale with a PNGB curvaton

We investigate a particular type of curvaton mechanism, under which inflation can occur at Hubble scale of order 1 TeV. The curvaton is a pseudo Nambu–Goldstone boson, whose order parameter increases after a phase transition during inflation, triggered by the gradual decrease of the Hubble scale. The mechanism is studied in the context of modular inflation, where the inflaton is a string axion. We show that the mechanism is successful for natural values of the model parameters, provided the phase transition occurs much earlier than the time when the cosmological scales exit the horizon. Also, it turns our that the radial mode for our curvaton must be a flaton field.     

Higher Dimensional Cosmological Model of the Universe with Decaying Λ Cosmology with Varying <Emphasis Type="Italic">G</Emphasis>

In this paper we present higher dimensional cosmological model of the universe with the decaying vacuum energy density in the realm of model with a time varying gravitational constant. We have shown that our model admits the usual higher dimensional de Sitter solution and the other solutions characterized by the constant ratio between matter density and the total energy density. Our work is the generalization of the work obtained earlier by Carneiro (Proceedings of the MG10 Meeting held at Brazilian Center for Research in Physics (CBPF), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 20–26 July, 2003) in four dimensional space-time.     

On ‘light’ fermions and proton stability in ‘big divisor’ D3/D7 large volume compactifications

Building on our earlier work (Misra and Shukla, Nucl. Phys. B 827:112, 2010; Phys. Lett. B 685:347–352, 2010), we show the possibility of generating “light” fermion mass scales of MeV–GeV range (possibly related to the first two generations of quarks/leptons) as well as eV (possibly related to first two generations of neutrinos) in type IIB string theory compactified on Swiss-Cheese orientifolds in the presence of a mobile space-time filling D3-brane restricted to (in principle) stacks of fluxed D7-branes wrapping the “big” divisor Σ _B . This part of the paper is an expanded version of the latter half of Sect. 3 of a published short invited review (Misra, Mod. Phys. Lett. A 26:1, 2011) written by one of the authors [AM]. Further, we also show that there are no SUSY GUT-type dimension-five operators corresponding to proton decay, and we estimate the proton lifetime from a SUSY GUT-type four-fermion dimension-six operator to be 10⁶¹ years. Based on GLSM calculations in (Misra and Shukla, Nucl. Phys. B 827:112, 2010) for obtaining the geometric K?hler potential for the “big divisor,” using further the Donaldson’s algorithm, we also briefly discuss in the first of the two appendices the metric for the Swiss-Cheese Calabi–Yau used, which we obtain and which becomes Ricci flat in the large-volume limit.     

Mimicking trans-Planckian effects in the CMB with conventional physics

We investigate the possibility that fields coupled to the inflaton can influence the primordial spectrum of density perturbations through their coherent motion. For example, the second field in hybrid inflation might be oscillating at the beginning of inflation rather than at the minimum of its potential. Although this effect is washed out if inflation lasts long enough, we note that there can be up to 30e-foldings of inflation prior to horizon crossing of COBE fluctuations while still giving a potentially visible distortion. Such pumping of the inflaton fluctuations by purely conventional physics can resemble trans-Planckian effects which have been widely discussed. The distortions which they make to the CMB could leave a distinctive signature which differs from generic effects like tilting of the spectrum.     

Minimal supersymmetric Higgs bosons with extra dimensions as the source of reheating and all matter

We consider the possibility that the dark energy responsible for inflation is deposited into extra dimensions outside of our observable Universe. Reheating and all matter can then be obtained from the minimal supersymmetric standard model flat direction condensate involving the Higgs bosons Hu and Hd, which acquires large amplitude by virtue of quantum fluctuations during inflation. The reheat temperature is TRH < or = 10(9) GeV so that there is no gravitino problem. We find a spectral index ns 1 with a very weak dependence on the Higgs potential.     

Restoring New Agegraphic Dark Energy in RS II Braneworld

Motivated by recent works (Saridakis in Phys. Lett. B 660:138, 2008; Sheykhi in Int. J. Mod. Phys. D 19(3):305, 2010), we investigate the new agegraphic model of dark energy in the framework of RS II braneworld. We also include the case of variable gravitational constant G in our model. Moreover, we reconstruct the potential and the dynamics of the quintessence, tachyon, K-essence and dilaton scalar field models according to the evolutionary behavior of the new agegraphic dark energy model in RS II braneworld cosmology including varying G.     

Fluxbrane inflation

As a first step towards inflation in genuinely F-theoretic setups, we propose a scenario where the inflaton is the relative position of two 7-branes on holomorphic 4-cycles. Non-supersymmetric gauge flux induces an attractive inter-brane potential. The latter is sufficiently flat in the supergravity regime of large volume moduli. Thus, in contrast to brane-antibrane inflation, fluxbrane inflation does not require warping. We calculate the inflaton potential both in the supergravity approximation and via an open-string one-loop computation on toroidal backgrounds. This leads us to propose a generalisation to genuine Calabi-Yau manifolds. We also comment on competing F-term effects. The end of inflation is marked by the condensation of tachyonic recombination fields between the 7-branes, triggering the formation of a bound state described as a stable extension along the 7-brane divisor. Hence our model fits in the framework of hybrid D-term inflation. We work out the main phenomenological properties of our D-term inflaton potential. In particular, our scenario of D7/D7 inflation avoids the familiar observational constraints associated with cosmic strings.     

Quantum-Gravity Thermodynamics, Incorporating the?Theory of Exactly Soluble Active Stochastic Processes, with Applications

A re-visitation of QFT is first cited, deriving the Feynman integral from the theory of active stochastic processes (Glueck and Hueffler, Phys. Lett. B. 659(1–2):447–451, 2008; Hueffel and Kelnhofer, Phys. Lett. B 588(1–2):145–150, 2004). We factor the lie group “generator” of the inverse wavefunction over an entropy-maximizing basis. Performing term-by-term Ito-integration leads us to an analytical, evaluable trajectory for a charged particle in an arbitrary field given a Maximum-Entropy distribution. We generalize this formula to many-body electrodynamics. In theory, it is capable of predicting plasma’s thermodynamic properties from ionic spectral data and thermodynamic and optical distributions. Blessed with the absence of certain limitations (e.g., renormalization) strongly present in competing formalisms and the incorporation of research related to many different phenomena, we outline a candidate quantum gravity theory based on these developments.