13,627 research outputs found

    Viable inflationary models ending with a first-order phase transition

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    We investigate the parameter space of hybrid inflation models where inflation terminates via a first-order phase transition causing nucleation of bubbles. Such models experience a tension from the need to ensure nearly scale invariant density perturbations, while avoiding a near scale-invariant bubble size distribution which would conflict observations. We perform an exact analysis of the different regimes of the models, where the energy density of the inflaton field ranges from being negligible as compared to the vacuum energy to providing most of the energy for inflation. Despite recent microwave anisotropy results favouring a spectral index less than one, we find that there are still viable models that end with bubble production and can match all available observations. As a by-product of our analysis, we also provide an up-to-date assessment of the viable parameter space of Linde's original second-order hybrid model across its full parameter range.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures. Revised version: corrections to description of the historical development of the models. v3: Minor corrections to match version accepted by PR

    Implications of Spontaneous Glitches in the Mass and Angular Momentum in Kerr Space-Time

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    The outward-pointing principal null direction of the Schwarzschild Riemann tensor is null hypersurface-forming. If the Schwarzschild mass spontaneously jumps across one such hypersurface then the hypersurface is the history of an outgoing light-like shell. The outward-- pointing principal null direction of the Kerr Riemann tensor is asymptotically (in the neighbourhood of future null infinity) null hypersurface-forming. If the Kerr parameters of mass and angular momentum spontaneously jump across one such asymptotic hypersurface then the asymptotic hypersurface is shown to be the history of an outgoing light-like shell and a wire singularity-free spherical impulsive gravitational wave.Comment: 16 pages, TeX, no figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

    Light-like Signals in General relativity and Cosmology

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    The modelling of light-like signals in General Relativity taking the form of impulsive gravitational waves and light-like shells of matter is examined. Systematic deductions from the Bianchi identities are made. These are based upon Penrose's hierarchical classification of the geometry induced on the null hypersurface history of the surface by its imbedding in the space-times to the future and to the past of it. The signals are not confined to propagate in a vacuum and thus their interaction with matter (a burst of radiation propagating through a cosmic fluid, for example) is also studied. Results are accompanied by illustrative examples using cosmological models, vacuum space-times, the de sitter univers and Minkowskian space-time.Comment: 21 pages, latex, no figure

    Detecting Early Galaxies Through Their 21-cm Signature

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    New observations over the next few years of the emission of distant objects will help unfold the chapter in cosmic history around the era of the first galaxies. These observations will use the neutral hydrogen emission or absorption at a wavelength of 21-cm as a detector of the hydrogen abundance. We predict the signature on the 21-cm signal of the early generations of galaxies. We calculate the 21-cm power spectrum including two physical effects that were neglected in previous calculations. The first is the redistribution of the UV photons from the first galaxies due to their scattering off of the neutral hydrogen, which results in an enhancement of the 21-cm signal. The second is the presence of an ionized hydrogen bubble near each source, which produces a cutoff at observable scales. We show that the resulting clear signature in the 21-cm power spectrum can be used to detect and study the population of galaxies that formed just 200 million years after the Big Bang.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to MNRAS Let

    Peeling properties of lightlike signals in General Relativity

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    The peeling properties of a lightlike signal propagating through a general Bondi-Sachs vacuum spacetime and leaving behind another Bondi-Sachs vacuum space-time are studied. We demonstrate that in general the peeling behavior is the conventional one which is associated with a radiating isolated system and that it becomes unconventional if the asymptotically flat space-times on either side of the history of the light-like signal tend to flatness at future null infinity faster than the general Bondi-Sachs space-time. This latter situation occurs if, for example, the space-times in question are static Bondi-Sachs space- times.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX2

    Detection of gravitational waves from the QCD phase transition with pulsar timing arrays

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    If the cosmological QCD phase transition is strongly first order and lasts sufficiently long, it generates a background of gravitational waves which may be detected via pulsar timing experiments. We estimate the amplitude and the spectral shape of such a background and we discuss its detectability prospects.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figs. Version accepted by PR
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