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At least 1,279 records · Page 71
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DOE OSTI2015

Stochastic acceleration of galactic cosmic rays by compressible plasma fluctuations in supernova shells

A theory of 2-stage acceleration of Galactic cosmic rays in supernova remnants is proposed. The first stage is accomplished by the supernova shock front, where a power-law spectrum is established up to a certain cutoff energy. It is followed by stochastic acceleration with compressible waves/turbulence in the downstream medium. With a broad ∝k{sup −2} spectrum for the compressible plasma fluctuations, the rate of stochastic acceleration is constant over a wide range of particle momentum. In this case, the stochastic acceleration process extends the power-law spectrum cutoff energy of Galactic cosmic rays to the knee without changing the spectral slope. This situation happens as long as the rate of stochastic acceleration is faster than 1/5 of the adiabatic cooling rate. A steeper spectrum of compressible plasma fluctuations that concentrate their power in long wavelengths will accelerate cosmic rays to the knee with a small bump before its cutoff in the comic-ray energy spectrum. This theory does not require a strong amplification of the magnetic field in the upstream interstellar medium in order to accelerate cosmic rays to the knee energy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Flying focus and its application to plasma-based laser amplifiers

Combining a chirped laser pulse with a chromatic lens yields a flying focus—a laser focus that moves dynamically in time. This provides control over the propagation of the peak laser intensity within an extended focal region that can be many times larger than the system’s Rayleigh length. Any velocity is achievable, including backward relative to the laser propagation direction. Previous simulation results have shown that a laser beam with a flying focus can create a counter-propagating ionization wave and subsequently pump a frequency-downshifted laser via the stimulated Raman scattering instability. Compared to a conventional Raman amplification scheme, several advantages were highlighted, including improved temperature control, plasma uniformity, and precursor growth mitigation. Here, we extend those results to demonstrate additional benefits: (1) the flying focus makes it possible for an unseeded Raman amplifier to produce a short, high-intensity beam; and (2) the flying focus minimizes collisional absorption of the pump, facilitating amplifier operation at higher plasma densities. Preliminary experiments have laid the groundwork for a high-performance plasma-based laser amplifier. The focal spot dynamics were initially confirmed at low intensity. It was subsequently demonstrated that ionization waves of arbitrary velocity can be produced at higher intensity. Here, we show a counter-propagating ionization front moving at approximately the speed of light—the optimal result for a Raman amplifier.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

On inflating magnetic fields, and the backreactions thereof

We investigate in more depth the issue of backreaction in models that attempt at generating cosmological magnetic fields at inflation. By choosing different, physically motivated, parametrisations, we are able to isolate the heart of the problem, namely the existence, alongside the wanted magnetic field, of its electric counterpart, which turns out quite generally to be stronger and redder. We were also able to identify a few more interwoven weak spots (the typically very high scale of inflation, the width of the spectrum of modes processed by inflation, the blindness of the amplification mechanism to the energy scale processed), in a way independent on the specifications of the coupling between inflation and electromagnetism. Despite having stripped down the problem to the core, the obstacles encountered appear insurmountable, thereby posing a challenge to inflation as the incubator of cosmological magnetism.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Preheating and locked inflation: an analytic approach towards parametric resonance

We take an analytic approach towards the framework of parametric resonance and apply it on preheating and locked inflation. A two-scalar toy model is analytically solved for the λφ{sup 2}χ{sup 2} coupling for the homogenous modes. The effects of dynamic universe background and backreaction are taken into account. We show the average effect of parametric resonance to be that χ's amplitude doubles for each cycle of φ. Our framework partly solves the broad resonance for preheating scenario, showing two distinct stages of preheating and making the parameters of preheating analytically calculable. It is demonstrated for slowroll inflation models, preheating is terminated, if by backreaction, typically in the 5th e-fold. Under our framework, a possible inhomogeneity amplification effect is also found during preheating, which both may pose strong constraints on some inflationary models and may amplify tiny existing inhomogeneities to the desired scale. For demonstration, we show it rules out the backreaction end of preheating of the quadratic slowroll inflation model with mass m ∼ 10{sup −6}. For locked inflation, parametric resonance is found to be inhibited if φ has more than one real component.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Can a marginally open universe amplify magnetic fields?

In a series of recent papers, including arXiv:1210.1183, it was claimed that large-scale magnetic fields generated during inflation in a spatially open universe could remain astrophysically significant at the present time since they experienced superadiabatic amplification specific to an open universe. We reexamine this assertion and show that, on the contrary, large-scale magnetic fields in a realistic open universe decay in much the same manner as they would in a spatially flat universe. Consequently, their amplitude today is extremely small (B{sub 0}∼<10{sup −59} G) and is unlikely to be of astrophysical significance.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

The anisotropy of a three- and a one-form

We calculate the anisotropic signal associated with the coupling of a three-form with an Abelian vector gauge field. In the simplest examples of three-form inflation the amplification of the vector fluctuations is exponential; this makes it almost certain that a large anisotropy will develop, severely constraining the viability of the coupling.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Two field matter bounce cosmology

We re-examine the non-singular Matter Bounce scenario first developed in [20], which starts with a matter-dominated period of contraction and transitions into an Ekpyrotic phase of contraction. We consider both matter fields, the first of which plays the role of regular matter, and the second of which is responsible for the non-singular bounce. Since the dominant matter field is massive, the induced curvature fluctuations are initially not scale-invariant, whereas the fluctuations of the second scalar field (which are initially entropy fluctuations) are scale-invariant. We study the transfer of the initial entropy perturbations into curvature fluctuations in the matter-dominated phase of contraction and show that the latter become nearly scale invariant on large scales but are blue tilted on small scales. We study the evolution of both curvature and entropy fluctuations through the bounce, and show that both have a scale-invariant spectrum which is blue-tilted on small scales. However, we find that the entropy fluctuations have an amplitude that is much smaller than that of the curvature perturbations, due to gravitational amplification of curvature perturbations during the bounce phase.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CMB dipole asymmetry from a fast roll phase

The observed CMB (cosmic microwave background) dipole asymmetry cannot be explained by a single field model of inflation - it inevitably requires more than one field where one of the fields is responsible for amplifying the super-Hubble fluctuations beyond the pivot scale. Furthermore the current constraints on f{sub NL} and τ{sub NL} require that such an amplification cannot produce large non-Gaussianity. In this paper we propose a model to explain this dipole asymmetry from a spectator field, which is responsible for generating all the curvature perturbations, but has a temporary fast roll phase before the Hubble exit of the pivot scale. The current data prefers spectator scenario because it leaves no isocurvature perturbations. The spectator model will also satisfy the well-known constraints arising from quasars, and the quadrupole and octupole of the CMB.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Thermal power spectrum in the CFT driven cosmology

We present an overview of the recently suggested cosmological model driven by conformal field theory (CFT) with the initial conditions in the form of the microcanonical density matrix. In particular, we discuss the origin of inflationary stage in this model and a novel feature — the thermal nature of the primordial power spectrum of the CMB anisotropy. The relevant effect of ''temperature of the relic temperature anisotropy'' can be responsible for a thermal contribution to the red tilt of this spectrum, additional to its conventional vacuum component. The amplification of this effect due to recently established a-theorem in CFT is briefly discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Primordial spectra from sudden turning trajectory

Effects of heavy fields on primordial spectra of curvature perturbations are discussed in inflationary models with a sudden turning trajectory. When heavy fields are excited after the sudden turn and oscillate around the bottom of the potential, the following two effects are generically induced: deformation of the inflationary background spacetime and conversion interactions between adiabatic and isocurvature perturbations, both of which can affect the primordial density perturbations. In this paper, we calculate primordial spectra in inflationary models with sudden turning potentials taking into account both of the two effects appropriately. We find that there are some non-trivial correlations between the two effects in the power spectrum and, as a consequence, the primordial scalar power spectrum has a peak around the scale exiting the horizon at the turn. Though both effects can induce parametric resonance amplifications, they are shown to be canceled out for the case with the canonical kinetic terms. The peak feature and the scale dependence of bispectra are also discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Critical constraint on inflationary magnetogenesis

Recently, there are several reports that the cosmic magnetic fields on Mpc scale in void region is larger than ∼ 10{sup −15}G with an uncertainty of a few orders from the current blazar observations. On the other hand, in inflationary magnetogenesis models, additional primordial curvature perturbations are inevitably produced from iso-curvature perturbations due to generated electromagnetic fields. We explore such induced curvature perturbations in a model independent way and obtained a severe upper bound for the energy scale of inflation from the observed cosmic magnetic fields and the observed amplitude of the curvature perturbation , as ρ{sub inf}{sup 1/4} < 300MeV × (B{sub obs}/10{sup −15}G){sup −1} where B{sub obs} is the strength of the magnetic field at present. Therefore, without a dedicated low energy inflation model or an additional amplification of magnetic fields after inflation, inflationary magnetogenesis on Mpc scale is generally incompatible with CMB observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Lensing in the geodesic light-cone coordinates and its (exact) illustration to an off-center observer in Lemaȋtre-Tolman-Bondi models

We present in this paper a new application of the geodesic light-cone (GLC) gauge for weak lensing calculations. Using interesting properties of this gauge, we derive an exact expression of the amplification matrix—involving convergence, magnification and shear—and of the deformation matrix—involving the optical scalars. These expressions are simple and non-perturbative as long as no caustics are created on the past light-cone and are, by construction, free from the thin lens approximation. We apply these general expressions on the example of an Lemaȋtre-Tolman-Bondi (LTB) model with an off-center observer and obtain explicit forms for the lensing quantities as a direct consequence of the non-perturbative transformation between GLC and LTB coordinates. We show their evolution in redshift after a numerical integration, for underdense and overdense LTB models, and interpret their respective variations in the simple non-curvature case.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cosmic bubble and domain wall instabilities III: the role of oscillons in three-dimensional bubble collisions

We study collisions between pairs of bubbles nucleated in an ambient false vacuum. For the first time, we include the effects of small initial (quantum) fluctuations around the instanton profiles describing the most likely initial bubble profile. Past studies of this problem neglect these fluctuations and work under the assumption that the collisions posess an exact SO(2,1) symmetry. We use three-dimensional lattice simulations to demonstrate that for double-well potentials, small initial perturbations to this symmetry can be amplified as the system evolves. Initially the amplification is well-described by linear perturbation theory around the SO(2,1) background, but the onset of strong nonlinearities amongst the fluctuations quickly leads to a drastic breaking of the original SO(2,1) symmetry and the production of oscillons in the collision region. We explore several single-field models, and we find it is hard to both realize inflation inside of a bubble and produce oscillons in a collision. Finally, we extend our results to a simple two-field model. The additional freedom allowed by the second field allows us to construct viable inflationary models that allow oscillon production in collisions. The breaking of the SO(2,1) symmetry allows for a new class of observational signatures from bubble collisions that do not posess azimuthal symmetry, including the production of gravitational waves which cannot be supported by an SO(2,1) spacetime.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Galaxy bispectrum, primordial non-Gaussianity and redshift space distortions

Measurements of the non-Gaussianity of the primordial density field have the power to considerably improve our understanding of the physics of inflation. Indeed, if we can increase the precision of current measurements by an order of magnitude, a null-detection would rule out many classes of scenarios for generating primordial fluctuations. Large-scale galaxy redshift surveys represent experiments that hold the promise to realise this goal. Thus, we model the galaxy bispectrum and forecast the accuracy with which it will probe the parameter f {sub NL}, which represents the degree of primordial local-type non Gaussianity. Specifically, we address the problem of modelling redshift space distortions (RSD) in the tree-level galaxy bispectrum including f {sub NL}. We find novel contributions associated with RSD, with the characteristic large scale amplification induced by local-type non-Gaussianity. These RSD effects must be properly accounted for in order to obtain un-biased measurements of f {sub NL} from the galaxy bispectrum. We propose an analytic template for the monopole which can be used to fit against data on large scales, extending models used in the recent measurements. Finally, we perform idealised forecasts on σ {sub f} {sub N{sub L}}—the accuracy of the determination of local non-linear parameter f {sub NL}—from measurements of the galaxy bispectrum. Our findings suggest that current surveys can in principle provide f {sub NL} constraints competitive with Planck , and future surveys could improve them further.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Modified magnetohydrodynamics around the electroweak transition

We analyse solutions of the MHD equations around the electroweak transition taking into account the effects of the chiral anomaly. It is shown that a transition that is not of the first order has direct consequences on the evolution of the asymmetry between left- and right-handed leptons. Assuming an initial chiral asymmetry in the symmetric phase at temperatures higher than the transition temperature, as well as the existence of magnetic fields, it is demonstrated that the asymmetry typically grows with time, until it undergoes a fast decrease at the transition, and then eventually gets damped at lower temperatures in the broken phase. We argue that it is unlikely to have any significant magnetic field amplification as a consequence of the electroweak transition in the Standard model, even when the chiral anomaly is introduced. The presence of a chiral asymmetry between left- and right-handed charge carriers naturally leads to the creation of helical magnetic fields from non-helical fields and this can have consequences on their subsequent evolution. Similarly, an initially vanishing chiral asymmetry is naturally created in the presence of a helical magnetic field.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Rolling axions during inflation: perturbativity and signatures

The motion of a pseudo-scalar field X during inflation naturally induces a significant amplification of the gauge fields to which it is coupled. The amplified gauge fields can source characteristic scalar and tensor primordial perturbations. Several phenomenological implications have been discussed in the cases in which (i) X is the inflaton, and (ii) X is a field different from the inflaton, that experiences a temporary speed up during inflation. In this second case, visible sourced gravitational waves (GW) can be produced at the CMB scales without affecting the scalar perturbations, even if the scale of inflation is several orders of magnitude below what is required to produce a visible vacuum GW signal. Perturbativity considerations can be used to limit the regime in which these results are under perturbative control. We revised limits recently claimed for the case (i), and we extend these considerations to the case (ii). We show that, in both cases, these limits are satisfied by the applications that generate signals at CMB scales. Applications that generate gravitational waves and primordial black holes at much smaller scales are at the limit of the validity of this perturbativity analysis, so we expect those results to be valid up to possibly order one corrections.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Constraints on the production of primordial magnetic seeds in pre-big bang cosmology

We study the amplification of the electromagnetic fluctuations, and the production of 'seeds' for the cosmic magnetic fields, in a class of string cosmology models whose scalar and tensor perturbations reproduce current observations and satisfy known phenomenological constraints. We find that the condition of efficient seeds production can be satisfied and compatible with all constraints only in a restricted region of parameter space, but we show that such a region has significant intersections with the portions of parameter space where the produced background of relic gravitational waves is strong enough to be detectable by aLIGO/Virgo and/or by eLISA.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Thermalized axion inflation

We analyze the dynamics of inflationary models with a coupling of the inflaton φ to gauge fields of the form φ F F-tilde / f , as in the case of axions. It is known that this leads to an instability, with exponential amplification of gauge fields, controlled by the parameter ξ= φ-dot /(2 fH ), which can strongly affect the generation of cosmological perturbations and even the background. We show that scattering rates involving gauge fields can become larger than the expansion rate H , due to the very large occupation numbers, and create a thermal bath of particles of temperature T during inflation. In the thermal regime, energy is transferred to smaller scales, radically modifying the predictions of this scenario. We thus argue that previous constraints on ξ are alleviated. If the gauge fields have Standard Model interactions, which naturally provides reheating, they thermalize already at ξ∼>2.9, before perturbativity constraints and also before backreaction takes place. In absence of SM interactions (i.e. for a dark photon), we find that gauge fields and inflaton perturbations thermalize if ξ∼>3.4; however, observations require ξ∼>6, which is above the perturbativity and backreaction bounds and so a dedicated study is required. After thermalization, though, the system should evolve non-trivially due to the competition between the instability and the gauge field thermal mass. If the thermal mass and the instabilities equilibrate, we expect an equilibrium temperature of T {sub eq} ≅ ξ H / g-bar where g-bar is the effective gauge coupling. Finally, we estimate the spectrum of perturbations if φ is thermal and find that the tensor to scalar ratio is suppressed by H /(2 T ), if tensors do not thermalize.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗