arXiv subjects

Robert Brandenberger

Publications and source records attributed to Robert Brandenberger.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Could Fermion Masses Play a Role in the Stabilization of the Dilaton in Cosmology?

We study the possibility that the Dilaton is stabilized by the contribution of fermion masses to its effective potential. We consider the Dilaton gravity action in four dimensions to which we add a mass term for a Dirac fermion. Such an action describes the interaction of the Dilaton with the fermions in the Yang-Mills sector of the coupled supergravity/super-Yang-Mills action which emerges as the low energy effective action of superstring theory after the extra spatial dimensions have been fixed. The Dilaton couples to the Fermion mass term via the usual exponential factor of this field which multiplies the non-kinetic terms of the matter Lagrangian, if we work in the Einstein frame. In the kinetic part of the Fermion action in the Einstein frame the Dilaton does not enter. Such masses can be generated in several ways: they can arise as a consequence of flux about internal spatial dimensions, they may arise as thermal fermion masses in a quasi-static phase in the early universe, and they will arise after the breaking of supersymmetry at late times. The vacuum contribution to the potential for the Dilaton is evaluated up to two loops. The result shows a minimum which could stabilize the Dilaton for reasonable ranges of parameter values.

hep-th↗

arXiv2008

A Nonsingular Cosmology with a Scale-Invariant Spectrum of Cosmological Perturbations from Lee-Wick Theory

We study the cosmology of a Lee-Wick type scalar field theory. First, we consider homogeneous and isotropic background solutions and find that they are nonsingular, leading to cosmological bounces. Next, we analyze the spectrum of cosmological perturbations which result from this model. Unless either the potential of the Lee-Wick theory or the initial conditions are finely tuned, it is impossible to obtain background solutions which have a sufficiently long period of inflation after the bounce. More interestingly, however, we find that in the generic non-inflationary bouncing cosmology, perturbations created from quantum vacuum fluctuations in the contracting phase have the correct form to lead to a scale-invariant spectrum of metric inhomogeneities in the expanding phase. Since the background is non-singular, the evolution of the fluctuations is defined unambiguously through the bounce. We also analyze the evolution of fluctuations which emerge from thermal initial conditions in the contracting phase. The spectrum of gravitational waves stemming for quantum vacuum fluctuations in the contracting phase is also scale-invariant, and the tensor to scalar ratio is not suppressed.

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arXiv2008

Observational Constraints on Theories with a Blue Spectrum of Tensor Modes

Motivated by the string gas cosmological model, which predicts a blue tilt of the primordial gravitational wave spectrum, we examine the constraints imposed by current and planned observations on a blue tilted tensor spectrum. Starting from an expression for the primordial gravitational wave spectrum normalized using cosmic microwave background observations, pulsar timing, direct detection and nucleosynthesis bounds are examined. If we assume a tensor to scalar ratio on scales of the CMB which equals the current observational upper bound, we obtain from these current observations constraints on the tensor spectral index of $n_{T} \lesssim 0.79$, $n_{T} \lesssim 0.53$, and $n_{T} \lesssim 0.15$ respectively.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Towards a New Proof of Anderson Localization

The wave function of a non-relativistic particle in a periodic potential admits oscillatory solutions, the Bloch waves. In the presence of a random noise contribution to the potential the wave function is localized. We outline a new proof of this Anderson localization phenomenon in one spatial dimension, extending the classical result to the case of a periodic background potential. The proof makes use of techniques previously developed to study the effects of noise on reheating in inflationary cosmology, employing methods of random matrix theory.

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arXiv2008

On Perturbations of Quintom Bounce

A Quintom universe with an equation-of-state crossing the cosmological constant boundary can provide a bouncing solution dubbed the Quintom Bounce and thus resolve the Big Bang singularity. In this paper, we investigate the cosmological perturbations of the Quintom Bounce both analytically and numerically. We find that the fluctuations in the dominant mode in the post-bounce expanding phase couple to the growing mode of the perturbations in the pre-bounce contracting phase.

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arXiv2008

String Gas Cosmology and Non-Gaussianities

Recently it has been shown that string gas cosmology, an alternative model of the very early universe which does not involve a period of cosmological inflation, can give rise to an almost scale invariant spectrum of metric perturbations. Here we calculate the non-Gaussianities of the spectrum of cosmological fluctuations in string gas cosmology, and find that these non-Gaussianities depend linearly on the wave number and that their amplitude depends sensitively on the string scale. If the string scale is at the TeV scale, string gas cosmology could lead to observable non-Gaussianities, if it is close to the Planck scale, then the non-Gaussianities on current cosmological scales are negligible.

hep-th↗

arXiv2007

Lensing and CMB Anisotropies by Cosmic Strings at a Junction

The metric around straight arbitrarily-oriented cosmic strings forming a stationary junction is obtained at the linearized level. It is shown that the geometry is flat. The sum rules for lensing by this configuration and the anisotropies of the CMB are obtained.

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arXiv2007

Cosmological Perturbations on a Bouncing Brane

The cosmological perturbations on a bouncing brane are studied. The brane is moving inside a Klebanov-Strassler throat where the infra-red region of the geometry is smoothly cut off. For an observer confined to the world-volume of the brane, this results in a non-singular bouncing mirage cosmology. We have calculated the scalar perturbations corresponding to the normal displacements of the brane. This is performed in the probe brane limit where the gravitational back-reaction of the brane on the bulk throat is absent. Our model provides a framework for studying the transfer of fluctuations from a contracting to an expanding phase. We find that the spectral index of the dominant mode of the metric fluctuation is un-changed, unlike what is obtained by gluing contracting to expanding Einstein universes with the help of the usual matching conditions. Assuming that the fluctuations start off in a vacuum state on sub-Hubble scales during the contracting phase, it is shown that the resulting spectral index n_s on super-Hubble scales in the expanding phase has a large blue tilt. When the brane is moving slowly inside the throat and its kinetic energy is negligible compared to its rest mass, one finds n_s=3. For a fast-rolling brane with a large kinetic energy, the spectral index is n_s = 2.3. This may put severe constraints on models of mirage cosmology.

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arXiv2007

String Theory, Space-Time Non-Commutativity and Structure Formation

A natural consequence of string theory is a non-commutative structure of space-time on microscopic scales. The existence of a minimal length, and a modification of the effective field theory are two consequences of this space-time non-commutativity. I will first explore some consequences of the modifications of the effective field theory for structure formation in the context of an inflationary cosmology. Then, I will explore the possibility that the existence of a minimal length will lead to a structure formation scenario different from inflation. Specifically, I will discuss recent work on string gas cosmology.

hep-th↗

arXiv2007

String Gas Cosmology and Structure Formation - A Brief Review

For suitable cosmological backgrounds, thermal fluctuations of a gas of strings can generate a scale-invariant spectrum of cosmological fluctuations without requiring a phase of inflationary expansion. We highlight the key points of this mechanism, and discuss cosmological backgrounds in which this scenario can be realized. The spectrum of cosmological perturbations has a small red tilt (like in scalar field-driven inflation) but (unlike in inflation) there is a small blue tilt of the spectrum of gravitational waves.

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arXiv2007

Topics in Cosmology

These lectures present a brief review of inflationary cosmology, provide an overview of the theory of cosmological perturbations, and then focus on the conceptual problems of the current paradigm of early universe cosmology, thus motivating an exploration of the potential of string theory to provide a new paradigm. Specifically, the string gas cosmology model is introduced, and a resulting mechanism for structure formation which does not require a period of cosmological inflation is discussed.

hep-th↗

arXiv2006

Non-perturbative Gravity, Hagedorn Bounce & CMB

In hep-th/0508194 it was shown how non-perturbative corrections to gravity can resolve the big bang singularity, leading to a bouncing universe. Depending on the scale of the non-perturbative corrections, the temperature at the bounce may be close to or higher than the Hagedorn temperature. If matter is made up of strings, then massive string states will be excited near the bounce, and the bounce will occur inside (or at the onset of) the Hagedorn phase for string matter. As we discuss in this paper, in this case cosmological fluctuations can be generated via the string gas mechanism recently proposed in hep-th/0511140. In fact, the model discussed here demonstrates explicitly that it is possible to realize the assumptions made in hep-th/0511140 in the context of a concrete set of dynamical background equations. We also calculate the spectral tilt of thermodynamic stringy fluctuations generated in the Hagedorn regime in this bouncing universe scenario. Generally we find a scale-invariant spectrum with a red tilt which is very small but does not vanish.

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arXiv2006

Moduli Stabilization with Long Winding Strings

Stabilizing all of the modulus fields coming from compactifications of string theory on internal manifolds is one of the outstanding challenges for string cosmology. Here, in a simple example of toroidal compactification, we study the dynamics of the moduli fields corresponding to the size and shape of the torus along with the ambient flux and long strings winding both internal directions. It is known that a string gas containing states with non-vanishing winding and momentum number in one internal direction can stabilize the radius of this internal circle to be at self-dual radius. We show that a gas of long strings winding all internal directions can stabilize all moduli, except the dilaton which is stabilized by hand, in this simple example.

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arXiv2006

Brane gas-driven bulk expansion as a precursor stage to brane inflation

We propose a new way of obtaining slow-roll inflation in the context of higher dimensional models motivated by string and M theory. In our model, all extra spatial dimensions are orbifolded. The initial conditions are taken to be a hot dense bulk brane gas which drives an initial phase of isotropic bulk expansion. This phase ends when a weak potential between the orbifold fixed planes begins to dominate. For a wide class of potentials, a period during which the bulk dimensions decrease sufficiently slowly to lead to slow-roll inflation of the three dimensions parallel to the orbifold fixed planes will result. Once the separation between the orbifold fixed planes becomes of the string scale, a repulsive potential due to string effects takes over and leads to a stabilization of the radion modes. The conversion of bulk branes into radiation during the phase of bulk contraction leads to reheating.

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arXiv2005

The Confining Heterotic Brane Gas: A Non-Inflationary Solution to the Entropy and Horizon Problems of Standard Cosmology

We propose a mechanism for solving the horizon and entropy problems of standard cosmology which does not make use of cosmological inflation. Crucial ingredients of our scenario are brane gases, extra dimensions, and a confining potential due to string gas effects which becomes dominant at string-scale brane separations. The initial conditions are taken to be a statistically homogeneous and isotropic hot brane gas in a space in which all spatial dimensions are of string scale. The extra dimensions which end up as the internal ones are orbifolded. The hot brane gas leads to an initial phase (Phase 1) of isotropic expansion. Once the bulk energy density has decreased sufficiently, a weak confining potential between the two orbifold fixed planes begins to dominate, leading to a contraction of the extra spatial dimensions (Phase 2). String modes which contain momentum about the dimensions perpendicular to the orbifold fixed planes provide a repulsive potential which prevents the two orbifold fixed planes from colliding. The radii of the extra dimensions stabilize, and thereafter our three spatial dimensions expand as in standard cosmology. The energy density after the stabilization of the extra dimensions is of string scale, whereas the spatial volume has greatly increased during Phases 1 and 2, thus leading to a non-inflationary solution of the horizon and entropy problems.

hep-th↗

arXiv2005

Current Acceleration from Dilaton and Stringy Cold Dark Matter

We argue that string theory has all the ingredients to provide us with candidates for the cold dark matter and explain the current acceleration of our Universe. In any generic string compactification the dilaton plays an important role as it couples to the Standard Model and other heavy non-relativistic degrees of freedom such as the string winding modes and wrapped branes, we collectively call them stringy cold dark matter. These couplings are non-universal which results in an interesting dynamics for a rolling dilaton. Initially, its potential can track radiation and matter while beginning to dominate the dynamics recently, triggering a phase of acceleration. This scenario can be realized as long as the dilaton also couples strongly to some heavy modes. We furnish examples of such modes. We provide analytical and numerical results and compare them with the current supernovae result. This favors certain stringy candidates.

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arXiv2005

Non-Perturbative Instabilities as a Solution of the Cosmological Moduli Problem

It is widely accepted that moduli in the mass range 10eV - $10^4$GeV which start to oscillate with an amplitude of the order of the Planck scale either jeopardize successful predictions of nucleosynthesis or overclose the Universe. It is shown that the moduli problem can be relaxed by making use of parametric resonance. A new non-perturbative decay channel for moduli oscillations is discussed. This channel becomes effective when the oscillating field results in a net negative mass term for the decay products. This scenario allows for the decay of the moduli much before nucleosynthesis and, therefore, leads to a complete solution of the cosmological moduli problem.

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arXiv2005

The Effects of Gravitational Back-Reaction on Cosmological Perturbations

Because of the non-linearity of the Einstein equations, the cosmological fluctuations which are generated during inflation on a wide range of wavelengths do not evolve independently. In particular, to second order in perturbation theory, the first order fluctuations back-react both on the background geometry and on the perturbations themselves. I this paper, the gravitational back-reaction of long wavelength (super-Hubble) scalar metric fluctuations on the perturbations themselves is investigated for a large class of inflationary models. Specifically, the equations describing the evolution of long wavelength cosmological metric and matter perturbations in an inflationary universe are solved to second order in both the amplitude of the perturbations and in the slow roll expansion parameter. Assuming that the linear fluctuations have random phases, we show that the fractional correction to the power spectrum due to the leading infrared back-reaction terms does not change the shape of the spectrum. The amplitude of the effect is suppressed by the product of the inflationary slow-roll parameter and the amplitude of the linear power spectrum. The non-gaussianity of the spectrum induced by back-reaction is commented upon.

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