Single mechanism for generating large-scale structure and providing dark missing matter

William H. Press, Barbara S. Ryden, and David N. Spergel
Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 1084 – Published 5 March 1990
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Abstract

We consider a boson field with a phase transition driven by a cosmologically small quartic self-coupling. While its short-wavelength components are stabilized, its very-long-wavelength components start a ‘‘slow-rolling’’ phase transition as soon as they come within their horizon. The Universe becomes filled with a critical density of ‘‘soft-boson’’ particles with a Compton wavelength of tens of kiloparsecs. Large-scale structure with present size tens of megaparsecs is inescapably formed by the wave-packet dynamics of such soft bosons. Baryons are gravitationally coupled to this structure. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle prevents soft bosons from falling into clusters of galaxies.

  • Received 13 October 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.64.1084

©1990 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

William H. Press and Barbara S. Ryden

  • Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

David N. Spergel

  • Princeton University Observatory, Princeton, New Jersey 08544

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Issue

Vol. 64, Iss. 10 — 5 March 1990

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