arXiv subjects

R. P. Woodard

Publications and source records attributed to R. P. Woodard.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv2010

De Sitter Breaking through Infrared Divergences

Just because the propagator of some field obeys a de Sitter invariant equation does not mean it possesses a de Sitter invariant solution. The classic example is the propagator of a massless, minimally coupled scalar. We show that the same thing happens for massive scalars with $M_S^2 < 0$, and for massive transverse vectors with $M_V^2 \leq -2 (D-1) H^2$, where $D$ is the dimension of spacetime and $H$ is the Hubble parameter. Although all masses in these ranges give infrared divergent mode sums, using dimensional regularization (or any other analytic continuation technique) to define the mode sums leads to the incorrect conclusion that de Sitter invariant solutions exist except at discrete values of the masses.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2009

A Phenomenological Model for the Early Universe

We consider the description of cosmological dynamics from the onset of inflation by a perfect fluid whose parameters must be consistent with the strength of the enhanced quantum loop effects that can arise during inflation. The source of these effects must be non-local and a simple incarnation of it is studied both analytically and numerically. The resulting evolution stops inflation in a calculable amount of time and leads to an oscillatory universe with a vanishing mean value for the curvature scalar and an oscillation frequency which we compute.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2009

Reconstructing the Distortion Function for Nonlocal Cosmology

We consider the cosmology of modified gravity models in which Newton's constant is distorted by a function of the inverse d'Alembertian acting on the Ricci scalar. We derive a technique for choosing the distortion function so as to fit an arbitrary expansion history. This technique is applied numerically to the case of LambdaCDM cosmology, and the result agrees well with a simple hyperbolic tangent.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2009

Transforming to Lorentz Gauge on de Sitter

We demonstrate that certain gauge fixing functionals cannot be added to the action on backgrounds such as de Sitter in which a linearization instability is present. We also construct the field dependent gauge transformation which carries the electromagnetic vector potential from a convenient, non-de Sitter invariant gauge to the de Sitter invariant, Lorentz gauge. The transformed propagator agrees with the de Sitter invariant result previously found by solving the propagator equation in Lorentz gauge. This shows that the gauge transformation technique will eliminate unphysical breaking of de Sitter invariance introduced by a gauge condition. It is suggested that the same technique can be used to finally resolve the issue of whether or not free gravitons are de Sitter invariant.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2009

How Far Are We from the Quantum Theory of Gravity?

I give a pedagogical explanation of what it is about quantization that makes general relativity go from being a nearly perfect classical theory to a very problematic quantum one. I also explain why some quantization of gravity is unavoidable, why quantum field theories have divergences, why the divergences of quantum general relativity are worse than those of the other forces, what physicists think this means and what they might do with a consistent theory of quantum gravity if they had one. Finally, I discuss the quantum gravitational data that have recently become available from cosmology.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2009

The Hubble Effective Potential

We generalize the effective potential to scalar field configurations which are proportional to the Hubble parameter of a homogeneous and isotropic background geometry. This may be useful in situations for which curvature effects are significant. We evaluate the one loop contribution to the Hubble Effective Potential for a massless scalar with arbitrary conformal and quartic couplings, on a background for which the deceleration parameter is constant. Among other things, we find that inflationary particle production leads to symmetry restoration at late times.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2009

A Completely Regular Quantum Stress Tensor with $w < -1$

For many quantum field theory computations in cosmology it is not possible to use the flat space trick of obtaining full, interacting states by evolving free states over infinite times. State wave functionals must be specified at finite times and, although the free states suffice to obtain the lowest order effects, higher order corrections necessarily involve changes of the initial state. Failing to correctly change the initial state can result in effective field equations which diverge on the initial value surface, or which contain tedious sums of terms that redshift like inverse powers of the scale factor. In this paper we verify a conjecture from 2004 that the lowest order initial state correction can indeed absorb the initial value divergences and all the redshifting terms of the two loop expectation value of the stress tensor of a massless, minimally coupled scalar with a quartic self interaction on nondynamical de Sitter background.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2009

A Simplified Quantum Gravitational Model of Inflation

Inflationary quantum gravity simplifies drastically in the leading logarithm approximation. We show that the only counterterm which contributes in this limit is the 1-loop renormalization of the cosmological constant. We go further to make a simplifying assumption about the operator dynamics at leading logarithm order. This assumption is explicitly implemented at 1- and 2-loop orders, and we describe how it can be implemented nonperturbatively. We also compute the expectation value of an invariant observable designed to quantify the quantum gravitational back-reaction on inflation. Although our dynamical assumption may not prove to be completely correct, it does have the right time dependence, it can naturally produce primordial perturbations of the right strength, and it illustrates how a rigorous application of the leading logarithm approximation might work in quantum gravity. It also serves as a partial test of the "null hypothesis" that there are no significant effects from infrared gravitons.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

Infrared Propagator Corrections for Constant Deceleration

We derive the propagator for a massless, minimally coupled scalar on a $D$-dimensional, spatially flat, homogeneous and isotropic background with arbitrary constant deceleration parameter. Our construction uses the operator formalism, by integrating the Fourier mode sum. We give special attention to infrared corrections from the nonzero lower limit associated with working on finite spatial sections. These corrections eliminate infrared divergences that would otherwise be incorrectly treated by dimensional regularization, resulting in off-coincidence divergences for those special values of the deceleration parameter at which the infrared divergence is logarithmic. As an application we compute the expectation value of the scalar stress-energy tensor.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

Cosmology is not a Renormalization Group Flow

A critical examination is made of two simple implementations of the idea that cosmology can be viewed as a renormalization group flow. Both implementations are shown to fail when applied to a massless, minimally coupled scalar with a quartic self-interaction on a locally de Sitter background. Cosmological evolution in this model is not driven by any RG screening of couplings but rather by inflationary particle production gradually filling an initially empty universe with a sea of long wavelength scalars.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

A Simple Operator Check of the Effective Fermion Mode Function during Inflation

We present a relatively simple operator formalism which reproduces the leading infrared logarithm of the one loop quantum gravitational correction to the fermion mode function on a locally de Sitter background. This rule may serve as the basis for an eventual stochastic formulation of quantum gravity during inflation. Such a formalism would not only effect a vast simplification in obtaining the leading powers of $\ln(a)$ at fixed loop orders, it would also permit us to sum the series of leading logarithms. A potentially important point is that our rule does not seem to be consistent with any simple infrared truncation of the fields. Our analysis also highlights the importance of spin as a gravitational interaction that persists even when kinetic energy has redshifted to zero.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

Gravity Gets There First with Dark Matter Emulators

We discuss the implications for gravity wave detectors of a class of modified gravity theories which dispense with the need for dark matter. These models, which are known as Dark Matter Emulators, have the property that weak gravitational waves couple to the metric that would follow from general relativity without dark matter whereas ordinary particles couple to a combination of the metric and other fields which reproduces the result of general relativity with dark matter. We show that there is an appreciable difference in the Shapiro delays of gravitational waves and photons or neutrinos from the same source, with the gravity waves always arriving first. We compute the expected time lags for GRB 070201, for SN 1987a, and for Sco-X1. We estimate the probable error by taking account of the uncertainty in position, and by using three different dark matter profiles.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Stochastic Inflationary Scalar Electrodynamics

We stochastically formulate the theory of scalar quantum electrodynamics on a de Sitter background. This reproduces the leading infrared logarithms at each loop order. It also allows one to sum the series of leading infrared logarithms to obtain explicit, nonperturbative results about the late time behavior of the system. One consequence is confirmation of the conjecture by Davis, Dimopoulos, Prokopec and Tornkvist that super-horizon photons acquire mass during inflation. We compute a photon mass-suqared of about 3.2991 H^2. The scalar stays perturbatively light with a mass-squared of about 0.8961 3 e^2 H^2/8pi^2. Interestingly, the induced change in the cosmological constant is negative, of about -0.6551 3 G H^4/pi.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

A Maximally Symmetric Vector Propagator

We derive the propagator for a massive vector field on a de Sitter background of arbitrary dimension. This propagator is de Sitter invariant and possesses the proper flat spacetime and massless limits. Moreover, the retarded Green's function inferred from it produces the correct classical response to a test source. Our result is expressed in a tensor basis which is convenient for performing quantum field theory computations using dimensional regularization.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

Generalizing Starobinskii's Formalism to Yukawa Theory & to Scalar QED

During inflation quantum effects from massless, minimally coupled scalars and gravitons can be strengthened so much that perturbation theory breaks down. To follow the subsequent evolution one must employ a nonperturbative resummation. Starobinski\uı has developed such a technique for simple scalDuring inflation quantum effects from massless, minimally coupled scalars and gravitons can be strengthened so much that perturbation theory breaks down. To follow the subsequent evolution one must employ a nonperturbative resummation. Starobinski\uı has developed such a technique for simple scalar theories. I discuss recent progress in applying this technique to more complicated models.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

Gravitons Enhance Fermions during Inflation

We solve the effective Dirac equation for massless fermions during inflation in the simplest gauge, including all one loop corrections from quantum gravity. At late times the result for a spatial plane wave behaves as if the classical solution were subjected to a time dependent field strength renormalization of Z_2(t) = 1 - \frac{17}{4 π} G H^2 \ln(a) + O(G^2). We show that this also follows from making the Hartree approximation, although the numerical coefficients differ.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

Leading Log Solution for Inflationary Yukawa

We generalize Starobinskii's stochastic technique to the theory of a massless, minimally coupled scalar interacting with a massless fermion in a locally de Sitter geometry. The scalar is an ``active'' field that can engender infrared logarithms. The fermion is a ``passive'' field that cannot cause infrared logarithms but which can carry them, and which can also induce new interactions between the active fields. The procedure for dealing with passive fields is to integrate them out, then stochastically simplify the resulting effective action following Starobinski\uı. Because Yukawa theory is quadratic in the fermion this can be done explicitly using the classic solution of Candelas and Raine. We check the resulting stochastic formulation against an explicit two loop computation. We also derive a nonperturbative, leading log result for the stress tensor. Because the scalar effective potential induced by fermions is unbounded below, back-reaction from this model might dynamically cancel an arbitrarily large cosmological constant.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

One Loop Corrected Mode Functions for SQED during Inflation

We solve the one loop effective scalar field equations for spatial plane waves in massless, minimally coupled scalar quantum electrodynamics on a locally de Sitter background. The computation is done in two different gauges: a non-de Sitter invariant analogue of Feynman gauge, and in the de Sitter invariant, Lorentz gauge. In each case our result is that the finite part of the conformal counterterm can be chosen so that the mode functions experience no significant one loop corrections at late times. This is in perfect agreement with a recent, all orders stochastic prediction.

gr-qc↗