Cosmology in gauge field theory and string theory / David Bailin, Alexander Love.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bailin, David.

Contributor:

Love, Alexander.

John G. Hartman Memorial Library Fund.

Series:

Graduate student series in physics

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gauge fields (Physics).

String models.

Cosmology.

Physical Description:

xii, 313 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Bristol ; Philadelphia : Institute of Physics Pub., [2004]

Summary:

This book focuses on the cosmological implications of the gauge theories of particle physics and of string theory. It first examines relics of early phase transitions, more generic relics (baryons, neutrinos, axions), and supersymmetric particles (neutralinos and gravitinos). The author next studies supersymmetric theory, supergravity theory, and the constraints on the underlying field theory of the universe's inflationary era. The book concludes with a discussion of black hole solutions of the supergravity theory that approximates string theory at low energies and the insight that string theory affords into the microscopic origin of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy.

Contents:

1 The standard model of cosmology 1

1.2 The Robertson-Walker metric 2

1.3 Einstein equations for a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe 5

1.4 Scale factor dependence of the energy density 7

1.5 Time dependence of the scale factor 8

1.6 Age of the universe 8

1.7 The cosmological constant 10

1.8 Equilibrium thermodynamics in the expanding universe 17

1.9 Transition from radiation to matter domination 19

1.10 Cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) 21

1.11 Big-bang nucleosynthesis 21

2 Phase transitions in the early universe 29

2.2 Partition functions 30

2.3 The effective potential at finite temperature 33

2.4 Phase transitions in the Higgs model 36

2.4.1 e[superscript 4 double less-than sign lambda] 37

2.4.2 e[superscript 4 double greater-than sign lambda] 40

2.5 Phase transitions in electroweak theory 45

2.6 Phase transitions in grand unified theories 48

2.7 Phase transitions in supersymmetric GUTs 51

2.8 Phase transitions in supergravity theories 55

2.9 Nucleation of true vacuum 59

3 Topological defects 65

3.2 Domain walls 66

3.3 Global cosmic strings 69

3.4 Local cosmic strings 71

3.5 Gravitational fields of local cosmic strings 74

3.5.1 Double images 75

3.5.2 Temperature discontinuities 76

3.5.3 Cosmic string wakes 76

3.6 Dynamics of local cosmic strings 76

3.7 Magnetic monopoles 80

3.8 Monopole topological quantum number 83

3.9 Magnetic monopoles in grand unified theories 85

3.10 Abundance of magnetic monopoles 86

4 Baryogenesis 91

4.2 Conditions for baryogenesis 94

4.3 Out-of-equilibrium decay of heavy particles 96

4.4 Baryogenesis in GUTs 99

4.5 Baryogenesis in SO(10) GUTs 110

4.6 Status of GUT baryogenesis 113

4.7 Baryon-number non-conservation in the Standard Model 114

4.8 Sphaleron-induced baryogenesis 120

4.9 CP-violation in electroweak theory 127

4.10 Phase transitions and electroweak baryogenesis 129

4.11 Supersymmetric electroweak baryogenesis 132

4.12 Affleck-Dine baryogenesis 137

5 Relic neutrinos and axions 147

5.2 Relic neutrinos 150

5.3 Axions 151

5.3.1 Introduction: the strong CP problem and the axion solution 151

5.3.2 Visible and invisible axion models 156

5.3.3 Astrophysical constraints on axions 159

5.3.4 Axions and cosmology 161

6 Supersymmetric dark matter 172

6.2 Weakly interacting massive particles or WIMPs 175

6.3 The gravitino problem 177

6.4 Minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) 179

6.5 Neutralino dark matter 181

6.6 Detection of dark matter 187

6.6.1 Neutralino-nucleon elastic scattering 188

6.6.2 WIMP annihilation in the sun or earth 189

6.6.3 WIMP annihilation in the halo 192

7 Inflationary cosmology 195

7.2 Horizon, flatness and unwanted relics problems 195

7.2.1 The horizon problem 195

7.2.2 The flatness problem 197

7.2.3 The unwanted relics problem 198

7.3 Old inflation 199

7.4 New inflation 201

7.5 Reheating after inflation 206

7.6 Inflaton field equations 208

7.7 Density perturbations 210

7.8 A worked example 214

7.9 Complex inflaton field 216

7.10 Chaotic inflation 217

7.11 Hybrid inflation 220

7.12 The spectral index 221

8 Inflation in supergravity 226

8.2 Models of supergravity inflation 227

8.3 D-term supergravity inflation 232

8.4 Hybrid inflation in supergravity 234

8.5 Thermal production of gravitinos by reheating 237

8.6 The Polonyi problem 238

8.6.1 Inflaton decays before Polonyi field oscillation 240

8.6.2 Inflaton decays after Polonyi field oscillation 244

9 Superstring cosmology 249

9.2 Dilaton and moduli cosmology 250

9.3 Stabilization of the dilaton 255

9.4 Dilaton or moduli as possible inflatons 259

9.5 Ten-dimensional string cosmology 260

9.6 D-brane inflation 265

9.7 Pre-big-bang cosmology 269

9.8 M-theory cosmology

the ekpyrotic universe 272

10 Black holes in string theory 275

10.2 Black-hole event horizons 276

10.3 Entropy of black holes 281

10.4 Perturbative microstates in string theory 289

10.5 Extreme black holes 291

10.6 Type II supergravity 293

10.7 Form fields and D-branes 296

10.8 Black holes in string theory 298

10.9 Counting the microstates 303

10.10 Problems 305.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the John G. Hartman Memorial Library Fund.

ISBN:

0750304928

OCLC:

56648281