Inflating an inhomogeneous universe

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2014/08/041· OSTI ID:22373383

Easther, Richard; Price, Layne C. ^[1]; Rasero, Javier ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics University of Auckland Private Bag 92019 Auckland (New Zealand)
2. Departament de Física Teòrica and IFIC Universitat de València-CSIC E-46100, Burjassot (Spain)

While cosmological inflation can erase primordial inhomogeneities, it is possible that inflation may not begin in a significantly inhomogeneous universe. This issue is particularly pressing in multifield scenarios, where even the homogeneous dynamics may depend sensitively on the initial configuration. This paper presents an initial survey of the onset of inflation in multifield models, via qualitative lattice-based simulations that do not include local gravitational backreaction. Using hybrid inflation as a test model, our results suggest that small subhorizon inhomogeneities do play a key role in determining whether inflation begins in multifield scenarios. Interestingly, some configurations which do not inflate in the homogeneous limit ''succeed'' after inhomogeneity is included, while other initial configurations which inflate in the homogeneous limit ''fail'' when inhomogeneity is added.

• OSTI ID: 22373383
• Journal Information: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Journal Issue: 08 Vol. 2014; ISSN 1475-7516
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
CONFIGURATION
COSMOLOGICAL INFLATION
SIMULATION
UNIVERSE