903 research outputs found
The cosmological BCS mechanism and the Big Bang Singularity
We provide a novel mechanism that resolves the Big Bang Singularity present
in FRW space-times without the need for ghost fields. Building on the fact that
a four-fermion interaction arises in General Relativity when fermions are
covariantly coupled, we show that at early times the decrease in scale factor
enhances the correlation between pairs of fermions. This enhancement leads to a
BCS-like condensation of the fermions and opens a gap dynamically driving the
Hubble parameter to zero and results in a non-singular bounce, at least in
some special cases.Comment: replaced to match the journal versio
Calculation of Particle Production by Nambu Goldstone Bosons with Application to Inflation Reheating and Baryogenesis
A semiclassical calculation of particle production by a scalar field in a
potential is performed. We focus on the particular case of production of
fermions by a Nambu-Goldstone boson . We have derived a (non)local
equation of motion for the -field with the backreaction of the produced
particles taken into account. The equation is solved in some special cases,
namely for purely Nambu-Goldstone bosons and for the tilted potential . Enhanced production of bosons due to
parametric resonance is investigated; we argue that the resonance probably
disappears when the expansion of the universe is included. Application of our
work on particle production to reheating and an idea for baryogenesis in
inflation are mentioned.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review {\rm D}: October 4, 1994 21 page, UM-AC
94-3
A revision of the Generalized Uncertainty Principle
The Generalized Uncertainty Principle arises from the Heisenberg Uncertainty
Principle when gravity is taken into account, so the leading order correction
to the standard formula is expected to be proportional to the gravitational
constant . On the other hand, the emerging picture suggests a
set of departures from the standard theory which demand a revision of all the
arguments used to deduce heuristically the new rule. In particular, one can now
argue that the leading order correction to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
is proportional to the first power of the Planck length . If so, the
departures from ordinary quantum mechanics would be much less suppressed than
what is commonly thought.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figur
Constraints on the Intergalactic Transport of Cosmic Rays
Motivated by recent experimental proposals to search for extragalactic cosmic
rays (including anti-matter from distant galaxies), we study particle
propagation through the intergalactic medium (IGM). We first use estimates of
the magnetic field strength between galaxies to constrain the mean free path
for diffusion of particles through the IGM. We then develop a simple analytic
model to describe the diffusion of cosmic rays. Given the current age of
galaxies, our results indicate that, in reasonable models, a completely
negligible number of particles can enter our Galaxy from distances greater than
Mpc for relatively low energies ( GeV/n). We also find
that particle destruction in galaxies along the diffusion path produces an
exponential suppression of the possible flux of extragalactic cosmic rays.
Finally, we use gamma ray constraints to argue that the distance to any
hypothetical domains of anti-matter must be roughly comparable to the horizon
scale.Comment: 24 pages, AAS LaTex, 1 figure, accepted to Ap
False Vacuum Chaotic Inflation: The New Paradigm?
Recent work is reported on inflation model building in the context of
supergravity and superstrings, with special emphasis on False Vacuum (`Hybrid')
Chaotic Inflation. Globally supersymmetric models do not survive in generic
supergravity theories, but fairly simple conditions can be formulated which do
ensure successful supergravity inflation. The conditions are met in some of the
versions of supergravity that emerge from superstrings.Comment: 4 pages, LATEX, LANCASTER-TH 94-1
Dark Stars and Boosted Dark Matter Annihilation Rates
Dark Stars (DS) may constitute the first phase of stellar evolution, powered
by dark matter (DM) annihilation. We will investigate here the properties of DS
assuming the DM particle has the required properties to explain the excess
positron and elec- tron signals in the cosmic rays detected by the PAMELA and
FERMI satellites. Any possible DM interpretation of these signals requires
exotic DM candidates, with an- nihilation cross sections a few orders of
magnitude higher than the canonical value required for correct thermal relic
abundance for Weakly Interacting Dark Matter can- didates; additionally in most
models the annihilation must be preferentially to lep- tons. Secondly, we study
the dependence of DS properties on the concentration pa- rameter of the initial
DM density profile of the halos where the first stars are formed. We restrict
our study to the DM in the star due to simple (vs. extended) adiabatic
contraction and minimal (vs. extended) capture; this simple study is sufficient
to illustrate dependence on the cross section and concentration parameter. Our
basic results are that the final stellar properties, once the star enters the
main sequence, are always roughly the same, regardless of the value of boosted
annihilation or concentration parameter in the range between c=2 and c=5:
stellar mass ~ 1000M\odot, luminosity ~ 10^7 L\odot, lifetime ~ 10^6 yrs (for
the minimal DM models considered here; additional DM would lead to more massive
dark stars). However, the lifetime, final mass, and final luminosity of the DS
show some dependence on boost factor and concentration parameter as discussed
in the paper.Comment: 37 pages, 11 figure
Inflation without Inflaton(s)
We propose a model for early universe cosmology without the need for
fundamental scalar fields. Cosmic acceleration and phenomenologically viable
reheating of the universe results from a series of energy transitions, where
during each transition vacuum energy is converted to thermal radiation. We show
that this `cascading universe' can lead to successful generation of adiabatic
density fluctuations and an observable gravity wave spectrum in some cases,
where in the simplest case it reproduces a spectrum similar to slow-roll models
of inflation. We also find the model provides a reasonable reheating
temperature after inflation ends. This type of model may also be relevant for
addressing the smallness of the vacuum energy today.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, published versio
Double Field Inflation
We present an inflationary universe model which utilizes two coupled real
scalar fields. The inflation field experiences a first order phase
transition and its potential dominates the energy density of the Universe
during the inflationary epoch. This field is initially trapped in its
metastable minimum and must tunnel through a potential barrier to reach the
true vacuum. The second auxiliary field couples to the inflaton field
and serves as a catalyst to provide an abrupt end to the inflationary epoch;
i.e., the field produces a time-dependent nucleation rate for bubbles of
true vacuum. In this model, we find that bubbles of true vacuum can
indeed percolate and we argue that thermalization of the interiors can more
easily take place. The required degree of flatness (i.e., the fine tuning) in
the potential of the field is comparable to that of other models which
invoke slowly rolling fields. Pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons may naturally
provide the flat potential for the rolling field.Comment: 18 pages, 2 figures, This early paper is being placed on the archive
to make it more easily accessible in light of recent interest in reviving
tunneling inflationary models and as its results are used in an accompanying
submissio
WIMPs search by scintillators: possible strategy for annual modulation search with large-mass highly-radiopure NaI(Tl)
The DAMA experiments are running deep underground in the Gran Sasso National
Laboratory. Several interesting results have been achieved so far. Here a
maximum likelihood method to search for the WIMP annual modulation signature is
discussed and applied to a set of preliminary test data collected with large
mass highly radiopure NaI(Tl) detectors. Various related technical arguments
are briefly addressed.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, LaTex. Contributed paper to TAUP97; to appear in
the Proceeding
Dark Matter Capture in the First Stars: a Power Source and Limit on Stellar Mass
The annihilation of weakly interacting massive particles can provide an
important heat source for the first (Pop. III) stars, potentially leading to a
new phase of stellar evolution known as a "Dark Star". When dark matter (DM)
capture via scattering off of baryons is included, the luminosity from DM
annihilation may dominate over the luminosity due to fusion, depending on the
DM density and scattering cross-section. The influx of DM due to capture may
thus prolong the lifetime of the Dark Stars. Comparison of DM luminosity with
the Eddington luminosity for the star may constrain the stellar mass of zero
metallicity stars; in this case DM will uniquely determine the mass of the
first stars. Alternatively, if sufficiently massive Pop. III stars are found,
they might be used to bound dark matter properties.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures, 3 Tables updated captions and graphs, corrected
grammer, and added citations revised for submission to JCA
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