arXiv subjects

Alexei Starobinsky

Publications and source records attributed to Alexei Starobinsky.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2011

Curing singularities in cosmological evolution of F(R) gravity

We study $F(R)$ modified gravity models which are capable of driving the accelerating epoch of the Universe at the present time whilst not destroying the standard Big Bang and inflationary cosmology. Recent studies have shown that a weak curvature singularity with $|R|\to\infty$ can arise generically in viable $F(R)$ models of present dark energy (DE) signaling an internal incompleteness of these models. In this work we study how this problem is cured by adding a quadratic correction with a sufficiently small coefficient to the $F(R)$ function at large curvatures. At the same time, this correction eliminates two more serious problems of previously constructed viable $F(R)$ DE models: unboundedness of the mass of a scalar particle (scalaron) arising in $F(R)$ gravity and the scalaron overabundance problem. Such carefully constructed models can also yield both an early time inflationary epoch and a late time de Sitter phase with vastly different values of $R$. The reheating epoch in these combined models of primordial and present dark energy is completely different from that of the old $R + R^{2}/6M^{2}$ inflationary model, mainly due to the fact that values of the effective gravitational constant at low and intermediate curvatures are different for positive and negative $R$. This changes the number of e-folds during the observable part of inflation that results in a different value of the primordial power spectrum index.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Signatures of a Graviton Mass in the Cosmic Microwave Background

There exist consistent low energy effective field theories describing gravity in the Higgs phase that allow the coexistence of massive gravitons and the conventional 1/r potential of gravity. In an effort to constrain the value of the graviton mass in these theories, we study the tensor contribution to the CMB temperature anisotropy and polarization spectra in the presence of a non-vanishing graviton mass. We find that the observation of a B-mode signal consistent with the spectrum predicted by inflationary models would provide the strongest limit yet on the mass of an elementary particle -- a graviton -- at a level of m\lesssim 10^(-30) eV\approx(10 Mpc)^(-1). We also find that a graviton mass in the range between (10 Mpc)^(-1) and (10 kpc)^(-1) leads to interesting modifications of the polarization spectrum. The characteristic signature of a graviton mass in this range would be a plateau in the B-mode spectrum up to angular multipoles of l\sim 100. For even larger values of the graviton mass the tensor contribution to the CMB spectra becomes strongly suppressed.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2006

Reconstructing Dark Energy

This review summarizes recent attempts to reconstruct the expansion history of the Universe and to probe the nature of dark energy. Reconstruction methods can be broadly classified into parametric and non-parametric approaches. It is encouraging that, even with the limited observational data currently available, different approaches give consistent results for the reconstruction of the Hubble parameter $H(z)$ and the effective equation of state $w(z)$ of dark energy. Model independent reconstruction using current data allows for modest evolution of dark energy density with redshift. However, a cosmological constant (= dark energy with a constant energy density) remains an excellent fit to the data. Some pitfalls to be guarded against during cosmological reconstruction are summarized and future directions for the model independent reconstruction of dark energy are explored.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Stability properties of some perfect fluid cosmological models

Flat FRW perfect fluid cosmologies can be reproduced as particular solutions of suitable field theoretical models. Here we investigate the stability of perfect fluid model trajectories with respect to sets of trajectories of the corresponding field models having generic initial conditions. It is shown that the trajectories of barotropic perfect fluid models and those of the Chaplygin gas model are stable. The total probability to reach the Chaplygin gas regime early enough to achieve a matter dominated stage having a realistic duration is calculated for a scalar field model assuming a natural measure in the space of initial conditions taken near a cosmological singularity. An example is presented of a two-fluid cosmological model where the stability is partially absent.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Caustics in Tachyon Matter and Other Born-Infeld Scalars

We consider scalar Born-Infeld type theories with arbitrary potentials V(T) of a scalar field T. We find that for models with runaway potentials V(T) the generic inhomogeneous solutions after a short transient stage can be very well approximated by the solutions of a Hamilton-Jacobi equation that describes free streaming wave front propagation. The analytic solution for this wave propagation shows the formation of caustics with multi-valued regions beyond them. We verified that these caustics appear in numerical solutions of the original scalar BI non-linear equations. Our results include the scalar BI model with an exponential potential, which was recently proposed as an effective action for the string theory tachyon in the approximation where high-order spacetime derivatives of T are truncated. Since the actual string tachyon dynamics contain derivatives of all orders, the tachyon BI model with an exponential potential becomes inadequate when the caustics develop because high order spatial derivatives of T become divergent. BI type tachyon theory with a potential decreasing at large T could have interesting cosmological applications because the tachyon field rolling towards its ground state at infinity acts as pressureless dark matter. We find that inhomogeneous cosmological tachyon fluctuations rapidly grow and develop multiple caustics. Any considerations of the role of the tachyon field in cosmology will have to involve finding a way to predict the behavior of the field at and beyond these caustics.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

Prospects and Problems of Tachyon Matter Cosmology

We consider the evolution of FRW cosmological models and linear perturbations of tachyon matter rolling towards a minimum of its potential. The tachyon coupled to gravity is described by an effective 4d field theory of string theory tachyon. In the model where a tachyon potential $V(T)$ has a quadratic minimum at finite value of the tachyon field $T_0$ and $V(T_0)=0$, the tachyon condensate oscillates around its minimum with a decreasing amplitude. It is shown that its effective equation of state is $p=-ε/3$. However, linear inhomogeneous tachyon fluctuations coupled to the oscillating background condensate are exponentially unstable due to the effect of parametric resonance. In another interesting model, where tachyon potential exponentially approaches zero at infinity of $T$, rolling tachyon condensate in an expanding universe behaves as pressureless fluid. Its linear fluctuations coupled with small metric perturbations evolve similar to these in the pressureless fluid. However, this linear stage changes to a strongly non-linear one very early, so that the usual quasi-linear stage observed at sufficiently large scales in the present Universe may not be realized in the absence of the usual particle-like cold dark matter.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

The Case for a Positive Cosmological Lambda-term

Recent observations of Type 1a supernovae indicating an accelerating universe have once more drawn attention to the possible existence, at the present epoch, of a small positive Lambda-term (cosmological constant). In this paper we review both observational and theoretical aspects of a small cosmological Lambda-term. We discuss the current observational situation focusing on cosmological tests of Lambda including the age of the universe, high redshift supernovae, gravitational lensing, galaxy clustering and the cosmic microwave background. We also review the theoretical debate surrounding Lambda: the generation of Lambda in models with spontaneous symmetry breaking and through quantum vacuum polarization effects -- mechanisms which are known to give rise to alarge value of Lambda hence leading to the `cosmological constant problem'. More recent attempts to generate a small cosmological constant at the present epoch using either field theoretic techniques, or by modeling a dynamical Lambda-term by scalar fields are also extensively discussed. Anthropic arguments favouring a small cosmological constant are briefly reviewed. A comprehensive bibliography of recent work on Lambda is provided.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1997

Towards the Theory of Reheating After Inflation

Reheating after inflation occurs due to particle production by the oscillating inflaton field. In this paper we describe the perturbative approach to reheating, and then concentrate on effects beyond the perturbation theory. They are related to the stage of parametric resonance called preheating. It may occur in an expanding universe if the initial amplitude of oscillations of the inflaton field is large enough. We investigate a simple model of a massive inflaton field coupled to another scalar field X. Parametric resonance in this model is very broad. It occurs in a very unusual stochastic manner, which is different from the parametric resonance in the case when the expansion of the universe is neglected. Quantum fields interacting with the oscillating inflaton field experience a series of kicks which occur with phases uncorrelated to each other. We call this process stochastic resonance. We develop the theory of preheating taking into account the expansion of the universe and backreaction of produced particles, including the effects of rescattering. The process of preheating can be divided into several distinct stages. At the first stage the backreaction of created particles is not important. At the second stage backreaction increases the frequency of oscillations of the inflaton field, which makes the process even more efficient than before. Then the effects related to scattering of X-particles terminate the resonance. We calculate the density of X-particles and their quantum fluctuations with all backreaction effects taken into account. This allows us to find the range of masses and coupling constants for which one has efficient preheating. In particular, under certain conditions this process may produce particles with a mass much greater than the mass of the inflaton field.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

Structure of Resonance in Preheating after Inflation

We consider preheating in the theory $1/4 λϕ^4 + 1/2 g^2ϕ^2χ^2 $, where the classical oscillating inflaton field $ϕ$ decays into $χ$-particles and $ϕ$-particles. The parametric resonance which leads to particle production in this conformally invariant theory is described by the Lame equation. It significantly differs from the resonance in the theory with a quadratic potential. The structure of the resonance depends in a rather nontrivial way on the parameter $g^2/λ$. We construct the stability/instability chart in this theory for arbitrary $g^2/λ$. We give simple analytic solutions describing the resonance in the limiting cases $g^2/λ\ll 1$ and $g^2/λ\gg 1$, and in the theory with $g^2=3λ$, and with $g^2 =λ$. From the point of view of parametric resonance for $χ$, the theories with $g^2=3λ$ and with $g^2 =λ$ have the same structure, respectively, as the theory $1/4 λϕ^4$, and the theory $λ/(4 N) (ϕ^2_i)^2$ of an N-component scalar field $ϕ_i$ in the limit $N \to \infty$. We show that in some of the conformally invariant theories such as the simplest model $1/4 λϕ^4$, the resonance can be terminated by the backreaction of produced particles long before $<χ^2>$ or $<ϕ^2 >$ become of the order $ϕ^2$. We analyze the changes in the theory of reheating in this model which appear if the inflaton field has a small mass.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1996

Comments on "Analytic and Numerical Study of Preheating Dynamics"

In a recent paper Boyanovsky et al (hep-ph/9608205) studied preheating for a particular theory of the inflaton field. Although they results essentially confirm those of the original papers on reheating after inflation, they claimed that most of the earlier works on preheating did not take into account backreaction of created particles, misused the Mathieu equation, and were inconclusive about the symmetry restoration after preheating. We explain why we cannot agree with these statements.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1995

Mixed Cold-Hot Dark Matter Model with several Massive Neutrino Types

Mixed cold-hot dark matter cosmological models (CHDM) with $Ω_{tot}=1$, approximately flat initial spectrum of adiabatic perturbations and 1, 2 or 3 types of massive neutrinos are compared and tested using recent observational data. The models with 2 or 3 neutrino types of equal mass permit as the best fit larger values of both the Hubble constant ($H_0\le 60$ for 2 types, $H_0\le 65$ for 3 types) and the total $Ω_ν$ (up to 0.3 for 3 types) than the model with 1 massive type. Also, they have less problems with abundances of early compact objects including $Ly-α$ clouds.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1994

Reheating after Inflation

The theory of reheating of the Universe after inflation is developed. The transition from inflation to the hot Universe turns out to be strongly model-dependent and typically consists of several stages. Immediately after inflation the field $ϕ$ begins rapidly rolling towards the minimum of its effective potential. Contrary to some earlier expectations, particle production during this stage does not lead to the appearance of an extra friction term $Γ\dotϕ$ in the equation of motion of the field $ϕ$. Reheating becomes efficient only at the next stage, when the field $ϕ$ rapidly oscillates near the minimum of its effective potential. We have found that typically in the beginning of this stage the classical inflaton field $ϕ$ very rapidly (explosively) decays into $ϕ$-particles or into other bosons due to broad parametric resonance. This stage cannot be described by the standard elementary approach to reheating based on perturbation theory. The bosons produced at this stage, as well as some part of the classical field $ϕ$ which survives the stage of explosive reheating, should further decay into other particles, which eventually become thermalized. The last stages of decay can be described in terms of perturbation theory. Complete reheating is possible only in those theories where a single massive $ϕ$-particle can decay into other particles. This imposes strong constraints on the structure of inflationary models. On the other hand, this means that a scalar field can be a cold dark matter candidate even if it is strongly coupled to other fields.

hep-th↗

arXiv1994

Mixed Cold-Hot Dark Matter Model with Falling and Quasi-Flat Initial Perturbation Spectra

The mixed cold-hot dark matter cosmological model (CHDM) with $Ω_{tot}=1$ and a falling power-law initial spectrum of Gaussian adiabatic perturbations ($n>1$) is tested using recent obserbational data. It is shown that its fit to the data becomes worse with the growth of $n-1$, and may be considered as unreasonable for $n>1.1$ for all possible values of the Hubble constant. Thus, the CHDM model with a falling initial spectrum is worse than the same model with the approximately flat $(|n-1|<0.1)$ spectrum. On the other hand, the CHDM model provides a rather good fit to the data if $n$ lies in the range $(0.9-1.0)$, the Hubble constant $H_0 < 60$ km/s/Mpc ($H_0 < 55$ for $n=1$) and the neutrino energy density $Ω_ν< 0.25$. So, the CHDM model provides the best possibility for the realization of the simplest variants of the inflationary scenario having the effective slope $n\approx (0.95-0.97)$ between galaxy and horizon scales, including a modest contribution of primordial gravitational wave background to large-angle $ΔT/T$ fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background (resulting in the increase of their total {\it rms} amplitude by $(5-10)%$) expected in some variants. A classification of cosmological models according to the number of fundamental parameters used to fit observational data is presented, too.

astro-ph↗