Dependence of the spectra of fluctuations in inflationary cosmology on trans-Planckian physics

Jérôme Martin and Robert Brandenberger
Phys. Rev. D 68, 063513 – Published 29 September 2003
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Abstract

We calculate the power spectrum of metric fluctuations in inflationary cosmology starting with initial conditions which are imposed mode by mode when the wavelength equals some critical length lC corresponding to a new energy scale MC at which trans-Planckian physics becomes important. In this case, the power spectrum can differ from what is calculated in the usual framework (which amounts to choosing the adiabatic vacuum state). The fractional difference in the results depends on the ratio σ0 between the Hubble expansion rate Hinf during inflation and the new energy scale MC. We show how and why different choices of the initial vacuum state (stemming from different assumptions about trans-Planckian physics) lead to fractional differences which depend on different powers of σ0. As we emphasize, the power in general also depends on whether one is calculating the power spectrum of density fluctuations or of gravitational waves.

  • Received 19 May 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.68.063513

©2003 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Jérôme Martin*

  • Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris-GReC0, 98bis boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France

Robert Brandenberger

  • Physics Department, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA

  • *Electronic address: jmartin@iap.fr
  • Electronic address: rhb@het.brown.edu

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Vol. 68, Iss. 6 — 15 September 2003

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