29 research outputs found
Energy conditions allow eternal inflation
Eternal inflation requires upward fluctuations of the energy in a Hubble volume, which appear to violate the energy conditions. In particular, a scalar field in an inflating spacetime should obey the averaged null energy condition, which seems to rule out eternal inflation. Here we show how eternal inflation is possible when energy conditions (even the null energy condition) are obeyed. The critical point is that energy conditions restrict the evolution of any single quantum state, while the process of eternal inflation involves repeatedly selecting a subsector of the previous state, so there is no single state where the conditions are violated. </p
Cosmic String Cusps with Small-Scale Structure: Their Forms and Gravitational Waveforms
We present a method for the introduction of small-scale structure into
strings constructed from products of rotation matrices. We use this method to
illustrate a range of possibilities for the shape of cusps that depends on the
properties of the small-scale structure. We further argue that the presence of
structure at cusps under most circumstances leads to the formation of loops at
the size of the smallest scales. On the other hand we show that the
gravitational waveform of a cusp remains generally unchanged; the primary
effect of small-scale structure is to smooth out the sharp waveform emitted in
the direction of cusp motion.Comment: RevTeX, 8 pages. Replaced with version accepted for publication by
PR
Spatially Averaged Quantum Inequalities Do Not Exist in Four-Dimensional Spacetime
We construct a particular class of quantum states for a massless, minimally
coupled free scalar field which are of the form of a superposition of the
vacuum and multi-mode two-particle states. These states can exhibit local
negative energy densities. Furthermore, they can produce an arbitrarily large
amount of negative energy in a given region of space at a fixed time. This
class of states thus provides an explicit counterexample to the existence of a
spatially averaged quantum inequality in four-dimensional spacetime.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure, minor corrections and added comment
Induced vacuum energy-momentum tensor in the background of a d-2 - brane in d+1 - dimensional space-time
Charged scalar field is quantized in the background of a static d-2 - brane
which is a core of the magnetic flux lines in flat d+1 - dimensional
space-time. We find that vector potential of the magnetic core induces the
energy-momentum tensor in the vacuum. The tensor components are periodic
functions of the brane flux and holomorphic functions of space dimension. The
dependence on the distance from the brane and on the coupling to the space-time
curvature scalar is comprehensively analysed.Comment: 32 pages, 3 figures, journal version, some references adde
Quantum interest in two dimensions
The quantum interest conjecture of Ford and Roman asserts that any
negative-energy pulse must necessarily be followed by an over-compensating
positive-energy one within a certain maximum time delay. Furthermore, the
minimum amount of over-compensation increases with the separation between the
pulses. In this paper, we first study the case of a negative-energy square
pulse followed by a positive-energy one for a minimally coupled, massless
scalar field in two-dimensional Minkowski space. We obtain explicit expressions
for the maximum time delay and the amount of over-compensation needed, using a
previously developed eigenvalue approach. These results are then used to give a
proof of the quantum interest conjecture for massless scalar fields in two
dimensions, valid for general energy distributions.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures; final version to appear in PR
Scaling in Numerical Simulations of Domain Walls
We study the evolution of domain wall networks appearing after phase
transitions in the early Universe. They exhibit interesting dynamical scaling
behaviour which is not yet well understood, and are also simple models for the
more phenomenologically acceptable string networks. We have run numerical
simulations in two- and three-dimensional lattices of sizes up to 4096^3. The
theoretically predicted scaling solution for the wall area density A ~ 1/t is
supported by the simulation results, while no evidence of a logarithmic
correction reported in previous studies could be found. The energy loss
mechanism appears to be direct radiation, rather than the formation and
collapse of closed loops or spheres. We discuss the implications for the
evolution of string networks.Comment: 7pp RevTeX, 9 eps files (including six 220kB ones
Quantum energy inequalities and local covariance II: Categorical formulation
We formulate Quantum Energy Inequalities (QEIs) in the framework of locally
covariant quantum field theory developed by Brunetti, Fredenhagen and Verch,
which is based on notions taken from category theory. This leads to a new
viewpoint on the QEIs, and also to the identification of a new structural
property of locally covariant quantum field theory, which we call Local
Physical Equivalence. Covariant formulations of the numerical range and
spectrum of locally covariant fields are given and investigated, and a new
algebra of fields is identified, in which fields are treated independently of
their realisation on particular spacetimes and manifestly covariant versions of
the functional calculus may be formulated.Comment: 27 pages, LaTeX. Further discussion added. Version to appear in
General Relativity and Gravitatio
Cosmic F- and D-strings
Macroscopic fundamental and Dirichlet strings have several potential
instabilities: breakage, tachyon decays, and confinement by axion domain walls.
We investigate the conditions under which metastable strings can exist, and we
find that such strings are present in many models. There are various
possibilities, the most notable being a network of (p,q) strings. Cosmic
strings give a potentially large window into string physics.Comment: 27 pages, 5 figures; v. 5: JHEP style, added comments in section 2.
An Infrared Divergence Problem in the cosmological measure theory and the anthropic reasoning
An anthropic principle has made it possible to answer the difficult question
of why the observable value of cosmological constant (
GeV) is so disconcertingly tiny compared to predicted value of vacuum
energy density GeV. Unfortunately, there is a
darker side to this argument, as it consequently leads to another absurd
prediction: that the probability to observe the value for randomly
selected observer exactly equals to 1. We'll call this controversy an infrared
divergence problem. It is shown that the IRD prediction can be avoided with the
help of a Linde-Vanchurin {\em singular runaway measure} coupled with the
calculation of relative Bayesian probabilities by the means of the {\em
doomsday argument}. Moreover, it is shown that while the IRD problem occurs for
the {\em prediction stage} of value of , it disappears at the {\em
explanatory stage} when has already been measured by the observer.Comment: 9 pages, RevTe
The circular loop equation of a cosmic string with time-varying tension in de Sitter spacetimes
In this work the equation of circular loops of cosmic string possessing
time-dependent tension is studied in the de Sitter spacetime. We find that the
cosmic string loops with initial radius , L de Sitter radius,
should not collapse to form a black holes. It is also found that in the case of
a loop of cosmic string whose tension depends on some power
of cosmic time can not become a black hole if the power is lower than a
critical value which is associated with the initial size of the loop.Comment: 6 page