arXiv subjects

R. Brandenberger

Publications and source records attributed to R. Brandenberger.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv1998

Parametric Amplification of Gravitational Fluctuations During Reheating

We demonstrate that cosmological perturbations can undergo amplification by parametric resonance during the preheating period following inflation, even on scales larger than the Hubble radius, without violating causality. A unified description of gravitational and matter fluctuations is crucial in order to determine the strength of the instability. To extract specific signatures of the oscillating inflaton field during reheating, it is essential to focus on a variable describing metric fluctuations which is constant in the standard analyses of inflation. When doing this in the case of a massive inflaton without self coupling, we find no additional growth of super-horizon modes during reheating beyond what the usual analyses of the growth of fluctuations predict. However, for a massless self coupled inflaton, there is an initial increase in the value of the gravitational potential, which may lead to different predictions for observations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Nonsingular Dilaton Cosmology

We study spatially homogeneous and isotropic solutions to the equations of motion derived from dilaton gravity, in the presence of a special combination of higher derivative terms in the gravitational action. All solutions are nonsingular. For initial conditions resembling those in the pre-big-bang scenario, there are solutions corresponding to a spatially flat, bouncing Universe originating in a dilaton-dominated contracting phase and emerging as an expanding Friedmann Universe.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1998

Topological Statistics and the LMT Galaxy Redshift Survey

The results of numerical simulations are presented which demonstrate that liquid mirror telescope galaxy redshift surveys such as the current UBC-NASA Multi-Narrowband Survey and the future LZT Survey have the potential of discriminating between the predictions of different theories of structure formation. Most of the currently studied theories of structure formation predict a scale-invariant spectrum of primordial perturbations. Therefore, to distinguish between the predictions of the various models, we make use of statistics which are sensitive to non-Gaussian phases, such as the counts in cell statistics, N-galaxy probability functions and Minkowski functionals. It is shown that already the current UBC-NASA survey can clearly differentiate between the predictions of some topological defect theories and those of inflationary Universe models with Gaussian phases.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

A Mechanism for Baryogenesis in Low Energy Supersymmetry Breaking Models

A generic prediction of models where supersymmetry is broken at scales within a few orders of magnitude of the weak scale and is fed down to the observable sector by gauge interactions is the existence of superconducting cosmic strings which carry baryon number. In this paper we propose a novel mechanism for the generation of the baryon asymmetry which takes place at temperatures much lower than the weak scale. Superconducting strings act like ``bags'' containing the baryon charge and protect it from sphaleron wash-out throughout the evolution of the Universe, until baryon number violating processes become harmless. This mechanism is efficient even if the electroweak phase transition in the MSSM is of the second order and therefore does not impose any upper bound on the mass of the Higgs boson. (13kb)

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

Reheating in the Presence of Noise

Explosive particle production due to parametric resonance is a crucial feature of reheating in inflationary cosmology. Coherent oscillations of the inflaton field act as a periodically varying mass in the evolution equation for matter fields which couple to the inflaton. This in turn results in the parametric resonance instability. Thermal and quantum noise will lead to a nonperiodic perturbation in the mass. We study the resulting equation for the evolution of matter fields and demonstrate that noise (at least if it is temporally uncorrelated) will increase the rate of particle production. We also estimate the limits on the magnitude of the noise for which the resonant behavior is qualitatively unchanged.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

The Structure of Cosmic String Wakes (Proceedings)

We present results of a cosmological hydrodynamical study of gravitational accretion in cosmic string wakes and filaments. Cosmic string wakes are formed by fast moving (v ~ c) strings. A conical deficit angle in the string spacetime induces a velocity perturbation in the background matter and a two-dimensional wake accretes in the path of the string. Filaments are formed by slow moving strings with a large amount of small scale structure. The major gravitational perturbation from slow moving strings is due to the Newtonian field induced by the effective mass of the wiggles. In cosmic string wakes, cool streams of baryons collide and are trapped at the center of the wake causing an enhancement of baryons versus dark matter by a factor of 2.4. In filaments, a high pressure is induced at the filament core and baryonic matter is expelled leading to a baryon deficit in the center of the filament.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1997

Early Objects in the Cosmic String Theory with Hot Dark Matter

We study the accretion of hot dark matter onto moving cosmic string loops, using an adaptation of the Zeldovich approximation to HDM. We show that a large number of nonlinear objects of mass greater than $10^{12}M_\odot$, which could be the hosts of high redshift quasars, are formed by a redshift of $z=4$.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1996

On the Newtonian Cosmology Equations with Pressure

The basic equations describing a Newtonian universe with uniform pressure are reexamined. We argue that in the semi-classical formulation adopted in the literature the continuity equation has a misleading pressure gradient term. When this term is removed, the resulting equations give the same homogeneous background solutions with pressure and the same evolution equation for the density contrast as are obtained using the full relativistic approach.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1996

Cosmic Strings in Theories With Dynamical Symmetry Breaking

We study the classical cosmic string solution in a theory with dynamical $U(1)$ symmetry breaking. We calculate the energy per unit length of the string and compare it to that obtained in a model with a fundamental Higgs. We find that the predictions of the standard Abelian Higgs model are quite stable towards the addition of higher dimension operators expected in the effective Lagrangian for the order parameter in a model with dynamical symmetry breaking, at least for small coupling constant $λ$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1996

On the Back Reaction Problem for Gravitational Perturbations

We derive the effective energy-momentum tensor for cosmological perturbations and prove its gauge-invariance. The result is applied to study the influence of perturbations on the behaviour of the Friedmann background in inflationary Universe scenarios. We found that the back reaction of cosmological perturbations on the background can become important already at energies below the self-reproduction scale.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1996

The Structure of Cosmic String Wakes

The clustering of baryons and cold dark matter induced by a single moving string is analyzed numerically making use of a new three-dimensional Eulerian cosmological hydro code$^{1)}$ which is based on the PPM method to track the baryons and the PIC method to evolve the dark matter particles. A long straight string moving with a speed comparable to $c$ induces a planar overdensity (a``wake"). Since the initial perturbation is a velocity kick towards the plane behind the string and there is no initial Newtonian gravitational line source, the baryons are trapped in the center of the wake, leading to an enhanced baryon to dark matter ratio. The cold coherent flow leads to very low post--shock temperatures of the baryonic fluid. In contrast, long strings with a lot of small-scale structure (which can be described by adding a Newtonian gravitational line source) move slowly and form filamentary objects. The large central pressure due to the gravitational potential causes the baryons to be expelled from the central regions and leads to a relative deficit in the baryon to dark matter ratio. In this case, the velocity of the baryons is larger, leading to high post-shock temperatures.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1996

Accretion of Cold and Hot Dark Matter onto Cosmic String Filaments

The Zeldovich approximation is applied to study the accretion of hot and cold dark matter onto moving long strings. It is assumed that such defects carry a substantial amount of small-scale structure, thereby acting gravitationally as a Newtonian line source whose effects dominate the velocity perturbations. Analytical expressions for the turn-around surfaces are derived and the mass inside of these surfaces is calculated. Estimates are given for the redshift dependence of $Ω_{nl}$, the fraction of mass in nonlinear objects. Depending on parameters, it is possible to obtain $Ω_{nl} = 1$ at the present time. Even with hot dark matter, the first nonlinear filamentary structures form at a redshift close to 100, and there is sufficient nonlinear mass to explain the observed abundance of high redshift quasars and damped Lyman alpha systems. These results imply that moving strings with small-scale structure are the most efficient seeds to produce massive nonlinear objects in the cosmic string model.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1996

Cosmic Vortons and Particle Physics Constraints

We investigate the cosmological consequences of particle physics theories that admit stable loops of superconducting cosmic string - {\it vortons}. General symmetry breaking schemes are considered, in which strings are formed at one energy scale and subsequently become superconducting in a secondary phase transition at what may be a considerably lower energy scale. We estimate the abundances of the ensuing vortons, and thereby derive constraints on the relevant particle physics models from cosmological observations. These constraints significantly restrict the category of admissible Grand Unified theories, but are quite compatible with recently proposed effects whereby superconducting strings may have been formed close to the electroweak phase transition.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1995

Formation of High Redshift Objects in a Cosmic String Theory with Hot Dark Matter

Using a modification of the Zel'dovich approximation adapted to hot dark matter, the accretion of such matter onto moving cosmic string loops is studied. It is shown that a large number of $10^{12}M_\odot$ nonlinear objects will be produced by a redshift of $z=4$. These objects could be the hosts of high redshift quasars.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1994

Particle Physics Models, Topological Defects and Electroweak Baryogenesis

We demonstrate the viability of electroweak baryogenesis scenarios in which the necessary departure from equilibrium is realized by the evolution of a network of topological defects. We consider several effective models of TeV physics, each addressing a fundamental particle physics problem, and in which the conditions necessary for defect-mediated electroweak baryogenesis are naturally satisfied. In each case we compare the strength of the model with that expected from scenarios in which baryogenesis proceeds with the propagation of critical bubbles.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1994

Universe Reheating after Inflation

We study the problem of scalar particle production after inflation by a rapidly oscillating inflaton field. We use the framework of the chaotic inflation scenario with quartic and quadratic inflaton potentials. Particular attention is paid to parametric resonance phenomena which take place in the presence of the quickly oscillating inflaton field. We have found that in the region of applicability of perturbation theory the effects of parametric resonance are crucial, and estimates based on first order Born approximation often underestimate the particle production. In the case of the quartic inflaton potential $V(φ) = λφ^4$, the particle production process is very efficient even for small values of coupling constants. The reheating temperature of the universe in this case is $\left[λ\, \log\, (1/λ) \right]^{- 1}$ times larger than the corresponding estimates based on first order Born approximation. In the case of the quadratic inflaton potential the reheating process depends crucially on the type of coupling between the inflaton and the other scalar field and on the magnitudes of the coupling constants. If the inflaton coupling to fermions and its linear (in inflaton field) coupling to scalar fields are suppressed, then, as previously discussed by Kofman, Linde and Starobinsky (see e.g. Ref. 13), the inflaton field will eventually decouple from the rest of the matter, and the residual inflaton oscillations may provide the (cold) dark matter of the universe. In the case of the quadratic inflaton potential we obtain the lowest and the highest possible bounds on the effective energy density of the inflaton field when it freezes out.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1994

Electroweak Baryogenesis with Topological Defects

Electroweak baryogenesis has become a topic of much recent activity [1]. Here we discuss a new scenario which has the advantage of being insensitive to the order of the electroweak phase transition. We briefly review a mechanism [2] using unstable electroweak strings [3] and discuss in detail a mechanism [4] using topological defects (in particular cosmic strings) left behind after a previous phase transition.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1994

Cosmic Strings and Electroweak Baryogenesis

The electroweak symmetry is unbroken in the core of cosmic strings originating from a symmetry breaking at an energy higher than the electroweak scale $η_{EW}$. The dynamics of such strings may generate a baryon asymmetry below the electroweak symmetry breaking scale. This mechanism for electroweak baryogenesis is most efficient if the scale of string formation is only slightly higher than $η_{EW}$ \eg \ in theories of dynamical symmetry breaking) and if the strings are superconducting. The mechanism is also effective if the electroweak phase transition is second order.

hep-ph↗