We propose a simple scenario which explains why our Universe appears spatially flat, homogeneous and isotropic. We use the Einstein-Cartan-Kibble-Sciama (ECKS) theory of gravity which naturally extends general relativity to include the spin of matter. The torsion of spacetime generates gravitational repulsion in the early Universe filled with quarks and leptons, preventing the cosmological singularity: the Universe expands from a state of minimum but finite radius. We show that the dynamics of the closed Universe immediately after this state naturally solves the flatness and horizon problems in cosmology because of an extremely small and negative torsion density parameter, $Ω_S \approx -10^{-69}$. Thus the ECKS gravity provides a compelling alternative to speculative mechanisms of standard cosmic inflation. This scenario also suggests that the contraction of our Universe preceding the bounce at the minimum radius may correspond to the dynamics of matter inside a collapsing black hole existing in another universe, which could explain the origin of the Big Bang.
The inclusion of Dirac fermions in Einstein-Cartan gravity leads to a four-fermion interaction mediated by non-propagating torsion, which can allow for the formation of a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer condensate. By considering a simplified model in 2+1 spacetime dimensions, we show that even without an excess of fermions over antifermions, the nonthermal distribution arising from preheating after inflation can give rise to a fermion condensate generated by torsion. We derive the effective Lagrangian for the spacetime-dependent pair field describing the condensate in the extreme cases of nonrelati…
We have derived an effective potential for inflationary scenario from torsion and quantum gravity correction in terms of the scalar field hidden in torsion. A strict bound on the CP violating $θ$ parameter, ${\cal O}(10^{-10})<θ<{\cal O}(10^{-9})$ has been obtained, using {\tt Planck+WMAP9} best fit cosmological parameters.
The idea of gauge theories of gravity predicts that there should exist not only the massless graviton but also massive particles carrying the gravitational force. We study the cosmology in a quadratic gravity with dynamical torsion where gravity may be interpreted as a gauge force associated with the Poincaré group. In addition to the massless spin-2 graviton, the model contains four non-ghost massive particle species: a couple of spin-0, a spin-1 and a spin-2. Supposing the restoration of the local Weyl invariance in the UV limit and the parity invariance, we find the most general minisupersp…
Recently, the nonperturbative quantization scheme of loop quantum gravity has been extended to the Brans-Dicke theory and the corresponding loop quantum Brans-Dicke cosmology has been derived, which provides an essential platform to explore inflationary models in this framework. In this paper, we consider two inflation models, the Starobinsky and $α$-attractor inflation whose cosmological predictions are in excellent agreement with Planck data, and study systematically their pre-inflationary dynamics as well as the slow-roll inflation. We show that for both models, the background evolution of …
We study the Brans-Dicke theory of gravity in Riemann-Cartan space-times, and obtain general torsion solutions, which are completely determined by Brans-Dicke scalar field $Φ$, in the false vacuum energy dominated epoch. The substitution of the torsion solutions back to our action gives the original Brans-Dicke action with $Φ$-dependent Brans-Dicke parameter $ω(Φ)$. The evolution of $ω(Φ)$ during the inflation is studied and it is found that $ω$ approaches to infinity at the end of inflation. This may solve the $ω$-problem in the extended inflation model.
We review inflationary cosmology in modified gravity such as $R^2$ gravity with its extensions in order to generalize the Starobinsky inflation model. In particular, we explore inflation realized by three kinds of effects: modification of gravity, the quantum anomaly, and the $R^2$ term in loop quantum cosmology. It is explicitly demonstrated that in these inflationary models, the spectral index of scalar modes of the density perturbations and the tensor-to-scalar ratio can be consistent with the Planck results. Bounce cosmology in $F(R)$ gravity is also explained.
We show that the constraints which follow from the {\it Trans-Planckian Censorship Conjecture} for inflationary cosmology can be strengthened if the pre-inflationary universe was dominated by radiation. The resulting upper bound on the energy scale of inflation is $η\sim 10^4 {\rm GeV}$, close to the scale accessible to accelerator experiments.
We study the implications of the recently proposed Trans-Planckian Censorship Conjecture (TCC) for early universe cosmology and in particular inflationary cosmology. The TCC leads to the conclusion that if we want inflationary cosmology to provide a successful scenario for cosmological structure formation, the energy scale of inflation has to be lower than $10^9$ GeV. Demanding the correct amplitude of the cosmological perturbations then forces the generalized slow-roll parameter $ε$ of the model to be very small ($<10^{-31}$). This leads to the prediction of a negligible amplitude of primordi…
A warm inflationary universe model in loop quantum cosmology is studied. In general we discuss the condition of inflation in this framework. By using a chaotic potential, $V(ϕ)\propto ϕ^2$, we develop a model where the dissipation coefficient $Γ=Γ_0=$ constant. We use recent astronomical observations for constraining the parameters appearing in our model.
We show that the Einstein-Cartan-Sciama-Kibble theory of gravity with torsion not only extends general relativity to account for the intrinsic spin of matter, but it may also eliminate major problems in gravitational physics and answer major questions in cosmology. These problems and questions include: the origin of the Universe, the existence of singularities in black holes, the nature of inflation and dark energy, the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe, and the nature of dark matter.
The inflationary scenario is not the only paradigm of early universe cosmology which is consistent with current observations. General criteria will be presented which any successful early universe model must satisfy. Various ways, including inflation, will be presented which satisfy these conditions. It will then be argued that if nature is described at a fundamental level by superstring theory, a cosmology without an initial space-time singularity will emerge, and a structure formation scenario which does not include inflation may be realized.
This article addresses the issue of estimating the duration in inflation in bouncing cosmology when anisotropies, inevitably playing an important role, are taken into account. It is shown that in Bianchi-I loop quantum cosmology, the higher the shear, the shorter the period of inflation. In a range of parameters, the probability distribution function of the duration of inflation is however peaked at values compatible with data, but not much higher. This makes the whole bounce/inflationary scenario consistent and phenomenologically appealing as all the information from the bounce might then not…
On the one hand, inflation is an extremely convincing scenario: it solves most cosmological paradoxes and generates fluctuations that became the seeds for the growth of structures. It, however, suffers from a "naturalness" problem: generating initial conditions for inflation is far from easy. On the other hand, loop quantum cosmology is very successful: it solves the Big Bang singularity through a non-perturbative and background-independent quantization of general relativity. It, however, suffers from a key drawback: it is extremely difficult to test. Recent results can let us hope that inflat…
The Einstein-Cartan-Sciama-Kibble theory of gravity removes the constraint of general relativity that the affine connection be symmetric by regarding its antisymmetric part, the torsion tensor, as a dynamical variable. The minimal coupling between the torsion tensor and Dirac spinors generates a spin-spin interaction which is significant in fermionic matter at extremely high densities. We show that such an interaction averts the unphysical big-bang singularity, replacing it with a cusp-like bounce at a finite minimum scale factor, before which the Universe was contracting. This scenario also e…
The accelerated expansion of space during the period of cosmological inflation leads to trans-Planckian issues which need to be addressed. Most importantly, the physical wavelength of fluctuations which are studied at the present time by means of cosmological observations may well originate with a wavelength smaller than the Planck length at the beginning of the inflationary phase. Thus, questions arise as to whether the usual predictions of inflationary cosmology are robust considering our ignorance of physics on trans-Planckian scales, and whether the imprints of Planck-scale physics are at …
A bouncing cosmology with an initial matter-dominated phase of contraction during which scales which are currently probed with cosmological observations exit the Hubble radius provides a mechanism alternative to inflation for producing a nearly scale-invariant spectrum of cosmological perturbations. In this review article I first discuss the evolution of cosmological fluctuations in the matter bounce scenario, and then discuss various attempts at realizing such a scenario. Observational signatures which will allow the matter bounce to be distinguished from the inflationary paradigm are also di…
We study a nonsingular bounce inflation model, which can drive the early universe from a contracting phase, bounce into an ordinary inflationary phase, followed by the reheating process. Besides the bounce that avoided the Big-Bang singularity which appears in the standard cosmological scenario, we make use of the Horndesky theory and design the kinetic and potential forms of the lagrangian, so that neither of the two big problems in bouncing cosmology, namely the ghost and the anisotropy problems, will appear. The cosmological perturbations can be generated either in the contracting phase or …
A cosmological model in an Einstein-Cartan framework endowed with torsion is studied. For a torsion function assumed to be proportional to Hubble expansion function, namely $ϕ=-αH$, the contribution of torsion function as a dark matter component is studied in two different approaches. In the first one, the total matter energy density is altered by torsion coupling $α$, giving rise to an effective dark matter and cosmological constant terms that reproduce quite well the flat cosmic concordance model. In the second approach, starting with just standard baryonic matter plus a cosmological constan…
The prediction of a phase of inflation whose number of e-folds is constrained is an important feature of loop quantum cosmology. This work aims at giving some elementary clarifications on the role of the different hypotheses leading to this conclusion. We show that the duration of inflation does not depend significantly on the modified background dynamics in the quantum regime.
A characteristic signature of String Gas Cosmology is primordial power spectra for scalar and tensor modes which are almost scale-invariant but with a red tilt for scalar modes but a blue tilt for tensor modes. This feature, however, can also be realized in the so-called G-inflation model, in which Horndeski operators are introduced which leads to a blue tensor tilt by softly breaking the Null Energy Condition. In this article we search for potential observational differences between these two cosmologies by performing detailed perturbation analyses based on the Effective Field Theory approach…
Scalar fields provide attractive modifications of pre-BBN cosmology, which have interesting implications for dark matter abundances. We analyse the effect of these modifications on the number of e-foldings between horizon exit of CMB modes and the end of inflation $(N_k)$, and examine the consequences for inflationary predictions of various models. We find significant effects in the predictions in the $(n_s, r)$ plane. For a large part of the parameter space, the shift in $N_k$ is positive; this ameliorates the tension of $m^{2} φ^{2}$ and natural inflation with data.
A Friedmann like cosmological model in Einstein-Cartan framework is studied when the torsion function is assumed to be proportional to a single $ϕ(t)$ function coming just from the spin vector contribution of ordinary matter. By analysing four different types of torsion function written in terms of one, two and three free parameters, we found that a model with $ϕ(t)=- αH(t) \big({ρ_{m}(t)}/{ρ_{0c}}\big)^n$ is totally compatible with recent cosmological data, where $α$ and $n$ are free parameters to be constrained from observations, $ρ_m$ is the matter energy density and $ρ_{0c}$ the critical d…
Earlier Bamba et al [JCAP (2012)] have obtained cosmological magnetic fields in teleparallel torsion theories of gravity that are not compatible with galactic dynamos. This result agrees with previous ones obtained by the author which shows [Phys Lett B (2012)] that anti-dynamo generalised theorem to torsion theories forbides such kind of dynamos to explain galactic magnetic fields of the order of $μ$G. More recently the author has suggested [IJAA (2012)] that a sort of Biermann battery could be obtained in torsioned cosmology. Nevertheless in this paper we show that this can be a particular r…
We investigate the dynamics of single and multiple scalar fields with exponential potentials, leading to power-law and assisted inflation, in loop quantum cosmology. Unlike in the classical theory, dynamical trajectories in loop quantum cosmology are generically non-singular, with a big bounce replacing classical big bang in the Planck regime. Post bounce, after a phase of super-inflation, dynamical trajectories evolve towards the classical attractor in the inflationary scenarios. Depending on the initial conditions, bounce is shown to occur in kinetic as well as potential dominated regimes. W…
A cosmology of Poincare gauge theory is developed, where several properties of universe corresponding to the cosmological equations with the pseudoscalar torsion function are investigated. The cosmological constant is found to be the intrinsic torsion and curvature of the vacuum universe and is derived from the theory naturally rather than added artificially, i.e. the dark energy originates from geometry and includes the cosmological constant but differs from it. The cosmological constant puzzle, the coincidence and fine tuning problem are relieved naturally at the same time. By solving the co…
A Friedman cosmology is investigated based on scalar-tensor gravitation with general metric coupling and scalar potential functions. We show that for a broad class of such functions, the scalar field can be dynamically trapped using a recently suggested mechanism. The trapped scalar can drive inflation and accelerated cosmic expansion, compatible with standard requirements. The inflationary phase admits a natural exit with a value of the Hubble parameter dictated by the duration of inflation in a parameter independent manner. For inflationary duration consistent with the GUT description, the r…
Recently Salim et al [JCAP (2007)], have shown that galactic dynamo seeds can be possibly attainable in bouncing cosmological models with QED Lagrangeans. In this paper we generalise their result by include torsion of spacetime in bouncing cosmology. It is shown that by considering a semi-minimal photon-torsion coupling and a Lagrangean of the type $RF^{2}$ it is possible to find a fast decoupling between magnetic and torsion fields in the contracting phases of the universe. Besides torsion field decays as $K\sim{a^{2/3}}$ while the magnetic field grows as $B\sim{a^{-5.5}}$ thus explaining the…
There is a wide consensus on the correct dynamics of the background in loop quantum cosmology. In this article we make a systematic investigation of the duration of inflation by varying what we think to be the most important "unknowns" of the model: the way to set initial conditions, the amount of shear at the bounce and the shape of the inflaton potential.
Cosmological inflation generates primordial density perturbations on all scales, including those far too small to contribute to the cosmic microwave background. At these scales, isolated ultracompact minihalos of dark matter can form well before standard structure formation, if the perturbations have sufficient amplitude. Minihalos affect pulsar timing data and are potentially bright sources of gamma rays. The resulting constraints significantly extend the observable window of inflation in the presence of cold dark matter, coupling two of the key problems in modern cosmology.
According to the most popular scenario, the early Universe should have experienced an accelerated expansion phase, called Cosmological Inflation, after which the standard Big Bang Cosmology would have taken place giving rise to the radiation-dominated epoch. However, the details of the inflationary scenario are far to be completely understood. Thus, in this paper we study if possible additional (exotic) cosmological phases could delay the beginning of the standard Big Bang history and alter some theoretical predictions related to the inflationary cosmological perturbations, like, for instance,…
