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Quantum Effects during Inflation

R. P. Woodard
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Abstract

The expansion of spacetime alters the energy-time uncertainty principle, allowing virtual particles to persist longer than in flat space. For a given expansion the effect is largest for massless particles which are not conformally invariant. For a given particle type the effect is largest for inflation. I exhibit these two principles in the context of massless fermions which are Yukawa-coupled to massless scalars. I also review the many related examples which have been studied recently.

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R. P. Woodard. 2003-10-27. Quantum Effects during Inflation. https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0310757

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