Physics – High Energy Physics – High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Scientific paper
1996-10-17
Phys.Rev. D55 (1997) 3373-3388
Physics
High Energy Physics
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
33 pages plus 13 figures, RevTex, replaced with published version (minor comments added)
Scientific paper
10.1103/PhysRevD.55.3373
We study the non-linear dynamics of an inflationary phase transition in a quartically self coupled inflaton model within the framework of a de Sitter background. Large N and Hartree non-perturbative approximations combined with non-equilibrium field theory methods are used to study the self-consistent time evolution including backreaction effects. We find that when the system cools down from an initial temperature T_i > T_c to below T_c with the initial value of the zero mode of the inflaton phi(0) << m lambda^{-1/4}, the dynamics is determined by the growth of long-wavelength quantum fluctuations. For phi(0) >> m lambda^{-1/4} the dynamics is determined by the evolution of the classical zero mode. In the regime where spinodal quantum fluctuations give the most important contribution to the non-equilibrium dynamics, we find that they modify the equation of state providing a graceful exit from the inflationary stage. Inflation ends through this new mechanism at a time scale t_s >= [H/m^2]ln[lambda^{-1}] which for H >= m and very weak coupling allows over one hundred e-folds during the de Sitter phase. Spatially correlated domains grow to be of horizon-size and quantum fluctuations ``freeze-out'' for times t> t_s.
Boyanovsky Daniel
Cormier Daniel
de Vega Hector J.
Holman Richard
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