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Dynamical attractors in contracting spacetimes dominated by kinetically coupled scalar fields

Journal Article · · Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3]
  1. Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Hanover (Germany); Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (United States); Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
  2. Princeton University, NJ (United States)
  3. Oakland University, Rochester, MI (United States)
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We present non-perturbative numerical relativity simulations of slowly contracting spacetimes in which the scalar field driving slow contraction is coupled to a second scalar field through an exponential non-linear σ model-type kinetic interaction. These models are important because they can generate a nearly scale-invariant spectrum of super-Hubble density fluctuations fully consistent with cosmic microwave background observations. We show that the non-linear evolution rapidly approaches a homogeneous, isotropic and flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) geometry for a wide range of inhomogeneous and anisotropic initial conditions. Ultimately, we find, the kinetic coupling causes the evolution to deflect away from flat FRW and towards a novel Kasner-like stationary point, but in general this occurs on time scales that are too long to be observationally relevant.
Research Organization:
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (United States); Princeton University, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Canadian Institute For Advanced Research (CIFAR); Max Planck Society; National Science Foundation (NSF); Simons Foundation; USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-91ER40671
OSTI ID:
1979348
Journal Information:
Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 2021; ISSN 1475-7516
Publisher:
Institute of Physics (IOP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (14)

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Supersmoothing through slow contraction journal September 2020
The effects of multiple modes and reduced symmetry on the rapidity and robustness of slow contraction journal September 2021
Planck 2018 results: VI. Cosmological parameters journal September 2020
Robustness of slow contraction to cosmic initial conditions journal August 2020
Sourcing curvature modes with entropy perturbations in non-singular bouncing cosmologies journal June 2021
Ultralocality and slow contraction journal June 2021
Nearly scale-invariant curvature modes from entropy perturbations during the graceful exit phase journal May 2021
Spontaneous creation of almost scale-free density perturbations in an inflationary universe journal August 1983
Perturbations in bouncing cosmologies: Dynamical attractor versus scale invariance journal March 2005
Evolution to a smooth universe in an ekpyrotic contracting phase with w > 1 journal October 2008
Scale-invariant perturbations in ekpyrotic cosmologies without fine-tuning of initial conditions journal September 2015
Gravitational Degrees of Freedom and the Initial-Value Problem journal June 1971

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Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
alternatives to inflation
cosmological simulations
gravity
physics of the early universe