Kinetically driven ekpyrosis

Journal Article · 02 August 2022 · Physical Review. D.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.106.043508 · OSTI ID:1980167

Shlivko, David  ^[1]

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1. Princeton University, NJ (United States); OSTI

We explore the possibility of a scalar field driving ekpyrotic contraction through a noncanonical kinetic energy density rather than a negative potential. We find that this kinetically driven ekpyrosis (“k-ekpyrosis”) can be achieved in a variety of models, including scalar field theories with power-law, polynomial, or Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI-)like kinetic terms in the action. Of these examples, the ekpyrotic phase is best sustained in power-law models, which can generate large and constant equation-of-state parameters, followed by DBI-like models, which can exhibit dynamical attractors toward similarly large equations of state. Here we show that for a broad class of theories including these examples, phases of k-ekpyrosis are accompanied by preceding or concurrent phases of superluminality.

• Research Organization: Princeton University, NJ (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Simons Foundation; USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• Grant/Contract Number: FG02-91ER40671; SC0007968
• OSTI ID: 1980167
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D., Journal Name: Physical Review. D. Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 106; ISSN 2470-0010
• Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English