Back-reaction and the trans-Planckian problem of inflation reexamined

Robert H. Brandenberger and Jérôme Martin
Phys. Rev. D 71, 023504 – Published 6 January 2005

Abstract

It has recently been suggested that Planck scale physics may effect the evolution of cosmological fluctuations in the early stages of cosmological inflation in a nontrivial way, leading to an excited state for modes whose wavelength is super-Planck but sub-Hubble. In this case, the issue of how this excited state back-reacts on the background space-time arises. In fact, it has been suggested that such back-reaction effects may lead to tight constraints on the magnitude of possible deviations from the usual predictions of inflation. In this note we discuss some subtle aspects of this back-reaction issue and point out that rather than preventing inflation, the back-reaction of ultraviolet fluctuations may simply lead to a renormalization of the cosmological constant driving inflation.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 22 October 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.71.023504

©2005 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Robert H. Brandenberger*

  • Department of Physics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, H3A 2T8, Canada
  • Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, N2J 2W9, Canada
  • Department of Physics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA

Jérôme Martin

  • Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, GReCO, 98bis Boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France

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

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 71, Iss. 2 — 15 January 2005

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review D

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×