Cosmic Origin of Matter: Nonequilibrium Field Theory and Inflationary Cosmology

Dartmouth College, Hanover NH

Investigators

Abstract

Present observations firmly support the notion that the early Universe underwent a short period of exponential) expansion known as inflation. The origin of matter is traced to the end of this inflationary era, when the primordial field that drives inflation transfers its energy into matter fields. This transfer is dramatic: it effectively models the hot Big Bang - and is believed to have occurred in at least two phases, known as preheating and reheating. The goal of this proposal is to address both the origin of matter and its excess over antimatter as inflation transitions into the hot Big Bang model. The PI plans to analyze in detail the nonperturbative dynamics of the preheating and reheating stages for a variety of models. . Based on this analysis, the PI hopes to propose several observational consequences of pre/reheating for different models, including: the number of e-folds or efficacy of the inflationary phase; the generation of net baryon number; and the production of a stochastic background of gravitational waves. The broader impact of the research is that the fundamental questions about the Universe addressed in this proposal are of great interest to wide ranging research groups and to the general public.. Apart from training his own graduate students, the PI is actively engaged in disseminating science to the general public through lectures, books, and TV documentaries. The PI has recently started a collaboration with Vermont's Montshire Museum of Science, to organize a series of public lectures to the local community.