This thesis investigates cosmological particle production within Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetimes, both as a dark matter mechanism and through analog simulations using Bose-Einstein condensates. While a full theory of Quantum Gravity remains elusive, studying quantum fields on curved backgrounds provides essential insights into the early Universe. We focus on how dynamical spacetimes, particularly during inflation, generate particles from spectator fields influenced solely by geometry.
The work is divided into four parts. Part I establishes the theoretical framework, covering cosmology, inflation, and the principles of analog gravity. Part II analyzes particle production in various inflationary models, showing that scalar and vector fields can account for observed dark matter abundance, especially through tachyonic instabilities. Part III explores BEC experiments, mapping phonons to scalar fields in expanding universes. We demonstrate the reconstruction of expansion histories, reinterpret production as a scattering problem, and propose methods to measure entanglement between produced pairs. Finally, Part IV addresses quantum vacuum ambiguities and the impact of non-adiabatic transitions during the "switch-on" and "switch-off" of expansion.
Ultimately, this work highlights the viability of cosmological particle production for dark matter and the power of analog experiments to enhance our understanding of quantum effects in curved spacetimes.
Null Energy Condition (NEC) can be violated in a consistent way in models with unconventional kinetic terms, notably, in Galileon theories and their generalizations. We make use of one of these, the scale-invariant kinetic braiding model, to discuss whether a universe can in principle be created by man-made processes. We find that even though the simplest models of this sort can have both healthy Minkowski vacuum and consistent NEC-violating phase, there is an obstruction for creating a universe in a straightforward fashion. To get around this obstruction, we design a more complicated model, a…
To explore the possibility that an inflationary universe can be created out of a stable particle in the laboratory, we consider the classical and quantum dynamics of a magnetic monopole in the thin-shell approximation. Classically there are three types of solutions: stable, collapsing and inflating monopoles. We argue that the transition from a stable monopole to an inflating one could occur either by collision with a domain wall or by quantum tunneling.
Recent data on cosmological variation of the electromagnetic fine structure constant from distant quasar (QSO) absorption spectra have inspired a more general discussion of possible variation of other constants. We discuss variation of strong scale and quark masses. We derive the limits on their relative change from (i) primordial Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN); (ii) Oklo natural nuclear reactor, (iii) quasar absorption spectra, and (iv) laboratory measurements of hyperfine intervals.
We consider an expanding relativistic fluid with spherical symmetry as a model for an analog FRW spacetime. In the framework of relativistic acoustic geometry we demonstrate how to mimic an arbitrary FRW spacetime with positive, zero or negative spatial curvature. In the Lagrangian description we show that a particular FRW spacetime is obtained by choosing the appropriate potential. We discuss several examples and in particular the analog de Sitter spacetime in the coordinate representation with positive and negative spatial curvature.
Quasar absorption spectral data indicate the presence of a spatial gradient in the electromagnetic fine-structure constant $α$ on cosmological length scales. We point out that experiments with accelerometers, including torsion pendula and atom interferometers, can be used as sensitive probes of cosmological spatial gradients in the fundamental constants of nature, which give rise to equivalence-principle-violating forces on test masses. Using laboratory data from the Eöt-Wash experiment, we constrain spatial gradients in $α$ along any direction to be $| \boldsymbol{\nabla} α/ α| < 6.6 \times 1…
We discuss the essential features of baby-universe production, starting from a description of black holes and wormholes, in terms of the causal structure of spacetime, and following a qualitative review of the connection between vacuum decay and inflation in early universe cosmology. Related open questions are also addressed, especially in connection with the possibility that baby universes could be formed within our present universe - either in a future particle accelerator, or spontaneously.
Calculation of the Dirac hydrogen atom spectrum in the framework of dynamical fine structure constant (alpha) variability discloses a small departure in the laboratory from Sommerfeld's formula for the fine structure shifts, possibly measurable today. And for a distant object in the universe, the wavelength shift of a spectral line specifically ascribable to cosmological alpha variation is found to depend differently on the quantum numbers than in the conventional view. This last result clashes with the conventional wisdom that an atom's spectrum can change with cosmological time only through …
Although cosmology is usually considered an observational science, where there is little or no space for experimentation, other approaches can (and have been) also considered. In particular, we can change rather drastically the above, more passive, observational perspective and ask the following question: could it be possible, and how, to create a universe in a laboratory? As a matter of fact, this seems to be possible, according to at least two different paradigms; both of them help to evade the consequences of singularity theorems. In this contribution we will review some of these models and…
We consider an exactly solvable model for production of fermions in the Friedman flat universe with a scale factor linearly growing with time. Exact solution expressed through the special functions admit an analytical calculation of the number density of created particles. We also discuss in general the role of the phenomenon of the cosmological particle production in the history of universe.
Using a formalism recently introduced we study the decaying of the cosmological parameter during the early evolution of an universe, whose evolution is governed by a vacuum equation of state. We use a stochastic approach in a nonperturbative treatment of the inflaton field from a Noncompact Kaluza-Klein (NKK) theory, to study the evolution of energy density fluctuations in the early universe.
We discuss the cosmological constant problem, at the minisuperspace level, within the framework of the so-called normalized general relativity (NGR). We prove that the Universe cannot be closed, and reassure that the accompanying cosmological constant $Λ$ generically vanishes, at least classically. The theory does allow, however, for a special class of $Λ\not=0$ solutions which are associated with static closed Einstein universe and with Eddington-Lema\^ıtre universe.
In the present article we analyze the phenomenon of particle creation in a cosmological anisotropic universe when a constant electric field is present. We compute, via the Bogoliubov transformations, the density number of particles created.
In this article, we consider a bouncing Universe, as described for example by Loop Quantum Cosmology. If the current acceleration is due to a true cosmological constant, this constant is naturally conserved through the bounce and the Universe should also be in a (contracting) de Sitter phase in the remote past. We investigate here the possibility that the de Sitter temperature in the contracting branch fills the Universe with radiation and causes the bounce and the subsequent inflation and reheating. We also consider the possibility that this gives rise to a cyclic model of the Universe and su…
This article shows that the compactified Milne universe geometry, a toy model for the big crunch/big bang transition, can be realized in hyperbolic metamaterials, a new class of nanoengineered systems which have recently found its way as an experimental playground for cosmological ideas. On one side, Klein-Gordon particles, as well as tachyons, are used as probes of the Milne geometry. On the other side, the propagation of light in two versions of a liquid crystal-based metamaterial provides the analogy. It is shown that ray and wave optics in the metamaterial mimic, respectively, the classica…
Cosmology is usually understood as an observational science, where experimentation plays no role. It is interesting, nevertheless, to change this perspective addressing the following question: what should we do to create a universe, in a laboratory? It appears, in fact, that this is, in principle, possible according to at least two different paradigms; both allow to circumvent singularity theorems, i.e. the necessity of singularities in the past of inflating domains which have the required properties to generate a universe similar to ours. The first of them is substantially classical, and is b…
The aim of this contribution is to provide a short introduction to recently investigated models in which our accessible universe is a four-dimensional submanifold, or brane, embedded in a higher dimensional spacetime and ordinary matter is trapped in the brane. I focus here on the gravitational and cosmological aspects of such models with a single extra-dimension.
Cosmological hysteresis is a purely thermodynamical phenomenon caused by the gradient in pressure, hence the characteristic equation of state during the expansion and contraction phases of the universe are different, provided that the universe bounces and recollapses. During hysteresis pressure asymmetry is created due to the presence of a single scalar field in the dynamical process. Also such an interesting scenario has vivid implications in cosmology when applied to variants of modified gravity models described within the framework of membrane paradigm. Cyclic universe along with scalar fie…
We study some collective phenomena that may happen in a multiverse scenario. First, it is posed an interaction scheme between universes whose evolution is dominated by a cosmological constant. As a result of the interaction, the value of the cosmological constant of one of the universes becomes very close to zero at the expense of an increasing value of the cosmological constant of the partner universe. Second, we found normal modes for a 'chain' of interacting universes. The energy spectrum of the multiverse, being this taken as a collective system, splits into a large number of levels, some …
We consider the dynamics of tensor and scalar gravitational fields in the Relativistic Theory of Gravitation with the Minkowskian vacuum metric and generalize the formulation to the massless graviton. The potential of scalar field is determined in the presence of cosmological term under clear physical motivations. We find cosmological inflationary solutions and analyze conditions providing the transition to the regime of hot expanding universe.
We discuss the holographic principle in a radiation-dominated, closed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) universe with a positive cosmological constant. By introducing a cosmological D-bound on the entropy of matter in the universe, we can write the Friedmann equation governing the evolution of the universe in the form of the Cardy formula. When the cosmological D-bound is saturated, the Friedmann equation coincides with the Cardy-Verlinde formula describing the entropy of radiation in the universe. As a concrete model, we consider a brane universe in the background of Schwarzschild-de Sitter bl…
The physical history of the Universe is completed by including the quantum planckian and trans-planckian phase before Inflation in the Standard Model of the Universe in agreement with observations. A new quantum precursor phase appears beyond the Planck scale. We extend de Sitter universe to the quantum domain: classical-quantum de Sitter duality. As a result: The classical and quantum dual de Sitter Temperatures and Entropies are naturally included, and the different (classical, semiclassical, quantum planckian and super-planckian) de Sitter regimes characterized in a precise and unifying way…
In the simplest Higgs phase of gravity called ghost condensation, an accelerating universe with a phantom era (w<-1) can be realized without ghost or any other instabilities. In this paper we show how to reconstruct the potential in the Higgs sector Lagrangian from a given cosmological history (H(t), ρ(t)). This in principle allows us to constrain the potential by geometrical information of the universe such as supernova distance-redshift relation. We also derive the evolution equation for cosmological perturbations in the Higgs phase of gravity by employing a systematic low energy expansion. …
We study the large-scale inhomogeneity of the Universe based on the averaging procedure of Buchert and Ehlers. The generalized Dyer-Roeder equation for the angular diameter distance of the inhomogeneous Universe is derived and solved for different cosmological models. We make a comparison of certain cosmic observables, such as the Hubble function, angular diameter distance,cosmological correction factor of homogeneous and inhomogeneous cosmological models, which are crucial ingredients in galaxy number counts and gravitational lenses.
The separate-universe approach provides an effective description of cosmological perturbations at large scales, where the universe can be described by an ensemble of independent, locally homogeneous and isotropic patches. By reducing the phase space to homogeneous and isotropic degrees of freedom, it greatly simplifies the analysis of large-scale fluctuations. It is also a prerequisite for the stochastic-inflation formalism. In this work, we formulate the separate-universe approach in the Hamiltonian formalism, which allows us to analyse the full phase-space structure of the perturbations. Suc…
Orbifold branes are studied in the framework of the 11-dimensional Horava-Witten heterotic M-Theory. It is found that the effective cosmological constant can be easily lowered to its current observational value by the mechanism of large extra dimensions. The domination of this constant over the evolution of the universe is only temporarily. Due to the interaction of the bulk and the branes, the universe will be in its decelerating expansion phase again in the future, whereby all problems connected with a far future de Sitter universe are resolved.
We study the evolution of cosmological event horizons in anisotropic Kasner universes in the presence of a positive cosmological constant by analyzing null geodesics. At later times, the asymptotic form of cosmological horizons is the same spherical surface as the de Sitter horizon. At the early times, however, it has non-spherical shape with its eccentricity decreases with time. The horizon area increases with time respecting the second law of thermodynamics. The initial shape of the cosmological horizon takes the form of a needle or pancake surface depending on the nature of the background s…
Can a late-time cosmological model based on baby universe absorption explain the z-variation of w?
The Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen University（哥本哈根大学尼尔斯·玻尔研究所）；Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics (IMAPP) Radbaud University Nijmegen（奈梅亨拉德堡德大学数学、天体物理与粒子物理研究所）；Dept. of Physics, High Energy Theory Group, Institute of Science Tokyo（东京科学大学物理系高能理论组）
We study the condition for the consistency of the Gödel metric with the dynamical Chern-Simons modified gravity. It turns out to be that this compatibility can be achieved only if the cosmological constant is variable in the space.
The Friedman Universe with the remnant stochastic scalar field in the hybrid inflation model is examined. It is shown that the small effective cosmological constant appears which increases the cosmological expansion.
We present an unconventional approach for addressing the old cosmological constant (CC) problem in a class of F(R,G) models of modified gravity. For a CC of arbitrary size and sign the corresponding cosmological evolution follows an expansion history which strikingly resembles that of our real universe. The effects of the large CC are relaxed dynamically and there is no fine-tuning at any stage. In addition, the relaxation mechanism alleviates the coincidence problem. The upshot is that a large cosmological constant and the observed cosmic expansion history coexist peacefully in the Relaxed Un…
When the cosmological constant is non-zero the dynamics of the cosmological model based on Horava-Lifshitz gravity in a non-flat universe is characterized by using the qualitative theory of differential equations.
Our Universe is nearly spatially flat, but this does not mean that it is exactly spatially flat. In this paper we derive general quadratic actions for cosmological perturbations in non-flat models from the Horndeski theory. This allows us to study how the spatial curvature influences the behavior of cosmological perturbations in the early universe described by some general scalar-tensor theory. We show that a tiny spatial curvature at the onset of inflation is unlikely to yield large (or ${\cal O}(1)$) effects on the primordial spectra even if one modifies gravity. We also argue that non-singu…
The physical Hamiltonian of a gravity-matter system depends on the choice of time, with the vacuum naturally identified as its ground state. We study the expanding universe with scalar field in the volume time gauge. We show that the vacuum energy density computed from the resulting Hamiltonian is a non-linear function of the cosmological constant and time. This result provides a new perspective on the relation between time, the cosmological constant, and vacuum energy.
Superfluid condensation of neutrinos of cosmological origin at a low enough temperature can provide simple and elegant solution to the problems of neutrino oscillations and the accelerated expansion of the universe. It would give rise to a late time cosmological constant of small magnitude and also generate tiny Majorana masses for the neutrinos as observed from their flavor oscillations. We show that carefully prepared beta decay experiments in the laboratory would carry signatures of such a condensation, and thus, it would be possible to either establish or rule out neutrino condensation of …
A relativistic 3-brane can be given a conformally invariant, gauge-type, formulation provided the embedding space is six-dimensional. The implementation of conformal invariance requires the use of a modified measure, independent of the metric in the action. A brane-world scenario without the need of a cosmological constant in 6D can be constructed. Thus, no ``old'' cosmological constant problem appears at this level.
Density perturbations in the flat (K=0) Robertson-Walker universe with radiation ($p=ε/3$) and positive cosmological constant ($Λ>0$) are investigated. The phenomenon of anomalous dispersion of acoustic waves on $Λ$ is discussed.
We study the cosmological evolution of a D3-brane Universe in a type 0 string background. We follow the brane-universe along the radial coordinate of the background and we calculate the energy density which is induced on the brane because of its motion in the bulk. We find that for some typical values of the parameters and for a particular range of values of the scale factor of the brane-universe, the effective energy density is dominated by a term proportional to $\frac{1}{(loga)^{4}}$ indicating a slow varying inflationary phase. For larger values of the scale factor the effective energy den…
The early Universe was characterized by the presence of heavy particles that decoupled at different temperatures leading to different phases of the Universe. This had a consequences on the time evolution of the thermodynamic and the cosmological parameters characterizing each phase of the early Universe. In this study, we derive the analytic expressions of the equations governing the time evolution of these parameters in the early eras of the Universe namely, the radiation era, the quark-gluon plasma era, the hadron era and the mixed era. The parameters under concern include the energy density…
Recent observations of the Universe have led to a conclusion suppressing an up-to-now supposed deceleration of the Universe caused by attractive gravitational forces. Contrary, there is a renaissance of the cosmological member lambda and introduction of enigmatic repulsive dark energy in attempts to rationalize a would-be acceleration of the Universe expansion. It is documented that the model of Expansive Nondecelerative Universe is capable to offer acceptable answers to the questions on the Universe expansion, state equations of the Universe, the parameter omega, the cosmological member lambd…
After a brief summary of general relativity and cosmology, we present the basic concepts underlying inflation, the currently best motivated models for the early Universe. We describe the simplest inflation models, based on a single scalar field, and discuss how primordial cosmological perturbations are generated. We then review some recent developments concerning multi-field inflation models, in particular multi-field Dirac-Born-Infeld inflation.
The evolution of a class of inhomogeneous spherically symmetric universe models possessing a varying cosmological term and a material fluid, with an adiabatic index either constant or not, is studied.
We consider a non singular origin for the Universe starting from an Einstein static Universe in the framework of a theory which uses two volume elements $\sqrt{-{g}}d^{4}x$ and $Φd^{4}x$, where $Φ$ is a metric independent density, also curvature, curvature square terms, first order formalism and for scale invariance a dilaton field $ϕ$ are considered in the action. In the Einstein frame we also add a cosmological term that parametrizes the zero point fluctuations. The resulting effective potential for the dilaton contains two flat regions, for $ϕ\rightarrow \infty$ relevant for the non singula…
Phase-plane stability analysis of a dynamical system describing the Universe as a two-fraction fluid containing baryonic dust and real virial gas quintessence is presented. Existence of a stable periodic solution experiencing inflationary periods is shown. A van der Waals quintessence model is revisited and cyclic Universe solution again found.
We discuss supersymmetric black holes embedded in a Goedel-type universe with cosmological constant in five dimensions. The spacetime is a fibration over a four-dimensional Kaehler base manifold, and generically has closed timelike curves. Asymptotically the space approaches a deformation of AdS_5, which suggests that the appearance of closed timelike curves should have an interpretation in some deformation of D=4, N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory. Finally, a Goedel-de Sitter universe is also presented and its causal structure is discussed.
We construct explicit solutions for scalar, vector and tensor perturbations in a less known setting, a flat universe filled by an isotropic elastic solid with pressure and shear modulus proportional to energy density. The solutions generalize the well known formulas for cosmological perturbations in a universe filled by ideal fluid.
The lower limit on the age of the universe derived from globular cluster dating techniques, which previously strongly motivated a non-zero cosmological constant, has now been dramatically reduced, allowing consistency for a flat matter dominated universe with a Hubble Constant, $H_0 \le 66 km s^{-1} Mpc^{-1}$. The case for an open universe versus a flat universe with non-zero cosmological constant is reanalyzed in this context, incorporating not only the new age data, but also updates on baryon abundance constraints, and large scale structure arguments. For the first time, the allowed paramete…
In the field equations of Einstein-Cartan theory with cosmological constant a static spherically symmetric perfect fluid with spin density satisfying the Weyssenhoff restriction is considered. This serves as a rough model of space filled with (fermionic) dark matter. From this the Einstein static universe with constant torsion is constructed, generalising the Einstein Cosmos to Einstein-Cartan theory. The interplay between torsion and the cosmological constant is discussed. A possible way out of the cosmological constant's sign problem is suggested.
It is well known that there is a Hawking radiation from the cosmological horizon of the de-sitter spacetime, and the de-sitter spacetime can be a special case of a FRW universe. Therefore, there may be a corresponding Hawking radiation in a FRW universe. Indeed, there have been several clues showing that there is a Hawking radiation from the apparent horizon of a FRW universe. In our paper, however, we find that the Hawking radiation may come from the cosmological horizon. Moreover, we also find that the Hawking radiation from the apparent horizon of a FRW universe in some previous works can b…
We discuss scalar-tensor realizations of the Anamorphic cosmological scenario recently proposed by Ijjas and Steinhardt. Through an analysis of the dynamics of cosmological perturbations we obtain constraints on the parameters of the model. We also study gravitational Parker particle production in the contracting Anamorphic phase and we compute the fraction between the energy density of created particles at the end of the phase and the background energy density. We find that, as in the case of inflation, a new mechanism is required to reheat the universe.
For evolution of flat universe, we classify late time and future attractors with scaling behavior of scalar field quintessence in the case of potential, which, at definite values of its parameters and initial data, corresponds to exact scaling in the presence of cosmological constant.
A family of cosmological models is considered which in a certain synchronized system of reference possess flat slices t = const. They are generated from the Einstein-de Sitter universe by a suitable transformation. Under physically reasonable presumptions these transformed models fulfil certain energy conditions.
For a generic quantum field theory we study the role played by the renormalization-group (RG) running of the cosmological constant (CC) in determining the ultimate fate of the universe. We consider the running of the CC of generic origin (the vacuum energy of quantum fields and the potential energy of classical fields), with the RG scale proportional to the (total energy density$\rm{)^{1/4}}$ as the most obvious identification. Starting from the present-era values for cosmological parameters we demonstrate how the running can easily provide a negative cosmological constant, thereby changing th…
Current observational data is consistent with the universe being slightly closed. We investigate families of singular and non-singular closed instantons that could describe the beginning of a closed inflationary universe. We calculate the scalar and tensor perturbations that would be generated from singular instantons and compute the corresponding CMB power spectrum in a universe with cosmological parameters like our own. We investigate spatially homogeneous modes of the instantons, finding unstable modes which render the instantons sub-dominant contributions in the path integral. We show that…
We generalize the well-known Bonnor-Melvin solution of the Einstein-Maxwell equations to the case of a non-vanishing cosmological constant. The spacetime is again cylindrically symmetric and static but, unlike the original solution, it truly represents a homogeneous magnetic field.
We present the extension of the Einstein-Maxwell system called electrovac universes by introducing a cosmological constant $Λ$. In the absence of the $Λ$ term, the crucial equation in solving the Einstein-Maxwell system is the Laplace equation. The cosmological constant modifies this equation to become in a non-linear partial differential equation which takes the form $ΔU=2ΛU^3$. We offer special solutions of this equation.
In this paper we show that the mass-energy density of the Universe can be fully determined in terms of the cosmological redshifts, their time drifts and angular-diameter distance (observer area distance). Besides providing an indirect measurement of the mass-energy density of the Universe, we show how one can use the time-drift of the cosmological redshifts as a replacement for the mass-energy density element in the minimally required data set to construct an spherically symmetric Lema\^ıtre-Tolman-Bondi (LTB) model for the Universe in observational coordinates.
In the present article we solve, via separation of variables, the massless Dirac equation in a nonstationary rotating, causal Gödel-type cosmological universe, having a constant rotational speed in all the points of the space. We compute the frequency spectrum. We show that the spectrum of massless Dirac particles is discrete and unbounded.
We present a cosmological model arising from a gravitational theory with an infinite tower of higher-order curvature invariants that can reproduce the entire evolution of the Universe: from inflation to late-time acceleration, without invoking an inflaton nor a cosmological constant. The theory is Einsteinian-like. The field equations for a Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker metric are of second-order and can reproduce a late-time evolution that is consistent with the acceleration provided by the cosmological constant at low redshift. Our results force us to reinterpret the nature of dark ene…
