Sign on

SAO/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service

· Find Similar Abstracts (with default settings below)
· Electronic Refereed Journal Article (HTML)
· References in the article
· Citations to the Article (1480) (Citation History)
· Refereed Citations to the Article
· Also-Read Articles (Reads History)
· HEP/Spires Information
·
· Translate This Page
Title:
Cosmological consequences of a rolling homogeneous scalar field
Authors:
Ratra, Bharat; Peebles, P. J. E.
Affiliation:
AA(Joseph Henry Laboratories, Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544), AB(Joseph Henry Laboratories, Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544)
Publication:
Physical Review D (Particles and Fields), Volume 37, Issue 12, 15 June 1988, pp.3406-3427 (PhRvD Homepage)
Publication Date:
06/1988
Origin:
AIP; APS ttp://www.aip.org ttp://www.aps.org
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevD.37.3406
Bibliographic Code:
1988PhRvD..37.3406R

Abstract

The cosmological consequences of a pervasive, rolling, self-interacting, homogeneous scalar field are investigated. A number of models in which the energy density of the scalar field red-shifts in a specific manner are studied. In these models the current epoch is chosen to be scalar-field dominated to agree with dynamical estimates of the density parameter, Ωdyn~0.2, and zero spatial curvature. The required scalar-field potential is ``nonlinear'' and decreases in magnitude as the value of the scalar field increases. A special solution of the field equations which is an attractive, time-dependent, fixed point is presented. These models are consistent with the classical tests of gravitation theory. The Eötvös-Dicke measurements strongly constrain the coupling of the scalar field to light (nongravitational) fields. Nucleosynthesis proceeds as in the standard hot big-bang model. In linear perturbation theory the behavior of baryonic perturbations, in the baryon-dominated epoch, do not differ significantly from the canonical scenario, while the presence of a substantial amount of homogeneous scalar-field energy density at low red-shifts inhibits the growth of perturbations in the baryonic fluid. The energy density in the scalar field is not appreciably perturbed by nonrelativistic gravitational fields, either in the radiation-dominated, matter-dominated, or scalar-field-dominated epochs. On the basis of this effect, we argue that these models could reconcile the low dynamical estimates of the mean mass density with the negligibly small spatial curvature preferred by inflation.
Bibtex entry for this abstract   Preferred format for this abstract (see Preferences)
   

Find Similar Abstracts:

Use: Authors
Title
Abstract Text
Return: Query Results Return    items starting with number
Query Form
Database: Astronomy
Physics
arXiv e-prints