Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “tensor”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,495 records · Page 83
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

One-loop gravitational wave spectrum in de Sitter spacetime

The two-point function for tensor metric perturbations around de Sitter spacetime including one-loop corrections from massless conformally coupled scalar fields is calculated exactly. We work in the Poincare patch (with spatially flat sections) and employ dimensional regularization for the renormalization process. Unlike previous studies we obtain the result for arbitrary time separations rather than just equal times. Moreover, in contrast to existing results for tensor perturbations, ours is manifestly invariant with respect to the subgroup of de Sitter isometries corresponding to a simultaneous time translation and rescaling of the spatial coordinates. Having selected the right initial state for the interacting theory via an appropriate iε prescription is crucial for that. Finally, we show that although the two-point function is a well-defined spacetime distribution, the equal-time limit of its spatial Fourier transform is divergent. Therefore, contrary to the well-defined distribution for arbitrary time separations, the power spectrum is strictly speaking ill-defined when loop corrections are included.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Inflation from the Higgs field false vacuum with hybrid potential

We have recently suggested [1,2] that Inflation could have started in a local minimum of the Higgs potential at field values of about 10{sup 15}–10{sup 17} GeV, which exists for a narrow band of values of the top quark and Higgs masses and thus gives rise to a prediction on the Higgs mass to be in the range 123–129 GeV, together with a prediction on the the top mass and the cosmological tensor-to-scalar ratio r. Inflation can be achieved provided there is an additional degree of freedom which allows the transition to a radiation era. In [1] we had proposed such field to be a Brans-Dicke scalar. Here we present an alternative possibility with an additional subdominant scalar very weakly coupled to the Higgs, realizing an (inverted) hybrid Inflation scenario. Interestingly, we show that such model has an additional constraint m{sub H} < 125.3±3{sub th}, where 3{sub th} is the present theoretical uncertainty on the Standard Model RGEs. The tensor-to-scalar ratio has to be within the narrow range 10{sup −4}∼<r < 0.007, and values of the scalar spectral index compatible with the observed range can be obtained. Moreover, if we impose the model to have subplanckian field excursion, this selects a narrower range 10{sup −4}∼<r < 0.001 and an upper bound on the Higgs mass of about m{sub H} < 124±3{sub th}.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Spherically symmetric analysis on open FLRW solution in non-linear massive gravity

We study non-linear massive gravity in the spherically symmetric context. Our main motivation is to investigate the effect of helicity-0 mode which remains elusive after analysis of cosmological perturbation around an open Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) universe. The non-linear form of the effective energy-momentum tensor stemming from the mass term is derived for the spherically symmetric case. Only in the special case where the area of the two sphere is not deviated away from the FLRW universe, the effective energy momentum tensor becomes completely the same as that of cosmological constant. This opens a window for discriminating the non-linear massive gravity from general relativity (GR). Indeed, by further solving these spherically symmetric gravitational equations of motion in vacuum to the linear order, we obtain a solution which has an arbitrary time-dependent parameter. In GR, this parameter is a constant and corresponds to the mass of a star. Our result means that Birkhoff's theorem no longer holds in the non-linear massive gravity and suggests that energy can probably be emitted superluminously (with infinite speed) on the self-accelerating background by the helicity-0 mode, which could be a potential plague of this theory.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

The degeneracy problem in non-canonical inflation

While attempting to connect inflationary theories to observational physics, a potential difficulty is the degeneracy problem: a single set of observables maps to a range of different inflaton potentials. Two important classes of models affected by the degeneracy problem are canonical and non-canonical models, the latter marked by the presence of a non-standard kinetic term that generates observables beyond the scalar and tensor two-point functions on CMB scales. The degeneracy problem is manifest when these distinguishing observables go undetected. We quantify the size of the resulting degeneracy in this case by studying the most well-motivated non-canonical theory having Dirac-Born-Infeld Lagrangian. Beyond the scalar and tensor two-point functions on CMB scales, we then consider the possible detection of equilateral non-Gaussianity at Planck-precision and a measurement of primordial gravitational waves from prospective space-based laser interferometers. The former detection breaks the degeneracy with canonical inflation but results in poor reconstruction prospects, while the latter measurement enables a determination of n{sub T} which, while not breaking the degeneracy, can be shown to greatly improve the non-canonical reconstruction.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Direction dependence of the power spectrum and its effect on the cosmic microwave background radiation

We study several anisotropic inflationary models and their implications for the observed violation of statistical isotropy in the CMBR data. In two of these models the anisotropy decays very quickly during the inflationary phase of expansion. We explicitly show that these models lead to violation of isotropy only for low l CMBR modes. Our primary aim is to fit the observed alignment of l = 2,3 multipoles to the theoretical models. We use two measures, based on the power tensor, which contains information about the alignment of each multipole, to quantify the anisotropy in data. One of the measures uses the dispersion in eigenvalues of the power tensor. We also define another measure which tests the overall correlation between two different multipoles. We perturbatively compute these measures of anisotropy and fix the theoretical parameters by making a best fit to l = 2,3 multipoles. We show that some of the models studied are able to consistently explain the observed violation of statistical isotropy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Polynomial chaotic inflation in supergravity

We present a general polynomial chaotic inflation model in supergravity, for which the predicted spectral index and tensor-to-scalar ratio can lie within the 1σ region allowed by the Planck results. Most importantly, the predicted tensor-to-scalar ratio is large enough to be probed in the on-going and future B-mode experiments. We study the inflaton dynamics and the subsequent reheating process in a couple of specific examples. The non-thermal gravitino production from the inflaton decay can be suppressed in a case with a discrete Z{sub 2} symmetry. We find that the reheating temperature can be naturally as high as O(10{sup 9−10}) GeV, sufficient for baryon asymmetry generation through (non-)thermal leptogenesis.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A simple method for one-loop renormalization in curved space-time

We present a simple method for deriving the renormalization counterterms from the components of the energy-momentum tensor in curved space-time. This method allows control over the finite parts of the counterterms and provides explicit expressions for each term separately. As an example, the method is used for the self-interacting scalar field in a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric in the adiabatic approximation, where we calculate the renormalized equation of motion for the field and the renormalized components of the energy-momentum tensor to fourth adiabatic order while including interactions to one-loop order. Within this formalism the trace anomaly, including contributions from interactions, is shown to have a simple derivation. We compare our results to those obtained by two standard methods, finding agreement with the Schwinger-DeWitt expansion but disagreement with adiabatic subtractions for interacting theories.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Resurrecting power law inflation in the light of Planck results

It is well known that a canonical scalar field with an exponential potential can drive power law inflation (PLI). However, the tensor-to-scalar ratio in such models turns out to be larger than the stringent limit set by recent Planck results. We propose a new model of power law inflation for which the scalar spectra index, the tensor-to-scalar ratio and the non-gaussianity parameter f{sub N{sub L}{sup equil}} are in excellent agreement with Planck results. Inflation, in this model, is driven by a non-canonical scalar field with an inverse power law potential. The Lagrangian for our model is structurally similar to that of a canonical scalar field and has a power law form for the kinetic term. A simple extension of our model resolves the graceful exit problem which usually afflicts models of power law inflation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Cosmic variance of the spectral index from mode coupling

We demonstrate that local, scale-dependent non-Gaussianity can generate cosmic variance uncertainty in the observed spectral index of primordial curvature perturbations. In a universe much larger than our current Hubble volume, locally unobservable long wavelength modes can induce a scale-dependence in the power spectrum of typical subvolumes, so that the observed spectral index varies at a cosmologically significant level (|Δn{sub s}| ∼ O(0.04)). Similarly, we show that the observed bispectrum can have an induced scale dependence that varies about the global shape. If tensor modes are coupled to long wavelength modes of a second field, the locally observed tensor power and spectral index can also vary. All of these effects, which can be introduced in models where the observed non-Gaussianity is consistent with bounds from the Planck satellite, loosen the constraints that observations place on the parameters of theories of inflation with mode coupling. We suggest observational constraints that future measurements could aim for to close this window of cosmic variance uncertainty.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Study of thermodynamic laws in f(R,T,R{sub μν}T{sup μν}) gravity

We study first and second laws of black hole thermodynamics at the apparent horizon of FRW spacetime in f(R,T,R{sub μν}T{sup μν}) gravity, where R, R{sub μν} are the Ricci scalar and Riemann tensor and T is the trace of the energy-momentum tensor T{sub μν}. We develop the Friedmann equations for any spatial curvature in this modified theory and show that these equations can be transformed to the form of Clausius relation T{sub h}S{sub eff} = δQ. Here T{sub h} is the horizon temperature, S{sub eff} is the entropy which contains contributions both from horizon entropy and additional entropy term introduced due to the non-equilibrating description and δQ is the energy flux across the horizon. The generalized second law of thermodynamics is also established in a more comprehensive form and one can recover the corresponding results in Einstein, f(R) and f(R,T) gravities. We discuss GSLT in the locality of assumption that temperature of matter inside the horizon is similar to that of horizon. Finally, we consider particular models in this theory and generate constraints on the coupling parameter for the validity of GSLT.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Parity violation in the CMB bispectrum by a rolling pseudoscalar

We investigate parity-violating signatures of temperature and polarization bispectra of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) in an inflationary model where a rolling pseudoscalar produces large equilateral tensor non-Gaussianity. By a concrete computation based on full-sky formalism, it is shown that resultant CMB bispectra have nonzero signals in both parity-even (ℓ{sub 1}+ℓ{sub 2}+ℓ{sub 3} = even) and parity-odd (ℓ{sub 1}+ℓ{sub 2}+ℓ{sub 3} = odd) spaces, and are almost uncorrelated with usual scalar-mode equilateral bispectra. These characteristic signatures and polarization information help to detect such tensor non-Gaussianity. Use of both temperature and E-mode bispectra potentially improves of 400% the detectability with respect to an analysis with temperature bispectrum alone. Considering B-mode bispectrum, the signal-to-noise ratio may be able to increase by 3 orders of magnitude. We present the 1σ uncertainties of a parameter depending on a coupling constant and a rolling condition for the pseudoscalar expected in the Planck and the proposed PRISM experiments.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

A polynomial f(R) inflation model

Motivated by the ultraviolet complete theory of quantum gravity, for example the string theory, we investigate a polynomial f(R) inflation model in detail. We calculate the spectral index and tensor-to-scalar ratio in the f(R) inflation model with the form of f(R)=R+((R{sup 2})/(6M{sup 2}))+((λ{sub n})/(2n))((R{sup n})/((3M{sup 2}){sup n−1})). Compared to Planck 2013, we find that R{sup n} term should be exponentially suppressed, i.e. |λ{sub n}|≲10{sup −2n+2.6}.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Non-Gaussianity consistency relations, initial states and back-reaction

We explore the consistency relations for the three-point functions, in the squeezed limit, of scalar and tensor perturbations in single-field inflation with general initial conditions for the perturbations. For slow-roll inflation, we find that all the three-point functions of scalar and tensor perturbations with a coherent state as the initial state are identical to the three-point functions with the Bunch-Davies initial state. On the other hand, there is an apparent violation of some of the consistency relations for initial states that are related to the Bunch-Davies state by Bogoliubov transformations and we identify the reason for this violation. The back-reaction calculations indicate that the three-point functions for these states can be large enough to violate the consistency relations, however, they are too small to be observed in the near future.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Instability of magnetic fields in electroweak plasma driven by neutrino asymmetries

The magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is modified to incorporate the parity violation in the Standard Model leading to a new instability of magnetic fields in the electroweak plasma in the presence of nonzero neutrino asymmetries. The main ingredient for such a modified MHD is the antisymmetric part of the photon polarization tensor in plasma, where the parity violating neutrino interaction with charged leptons is present. We calculate this contribution to the polarization tensor connected with the Chern-Simons term in effective Lagrangian of the electromagnetic field. The general expression for such a contribution which depends on the temperature and the chemical potential of plasma as well as on the photon's momentum is derived. The instability of a magnetic field driven by the electron neutrino asymmetry for the ν-burst during the first second of a supernova explosion can amplify a seed magnetic field of a protostar, and, perhaps, can explain the generation of strongest magnetic fields in magnetars. The growth of a cosmological magnetic field driven by the neutrino asymmetry density Δn{sub ν} = n{sub ν}−n{sub ν-bar}≠0 is provided by a lower bound on |ξ{sub ν{sub e}}| = |μ{sub ν{sub e}}|/T which is consistent with the well-known Big Bang nucleosynthesis (upper) bound on neutrino asymmetries in a hot universe plasma.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Composite inflation confronts BICEP2 and PLANCK

We examine observational constraints on single-field inflation in which the inflaton is a composite field stemming from a four-dimensional strongly interacting field theory. We confront the predictions with the Planck and very recent BICEP2 data. In the large non-minimal coupling regions, we discover for the minimal composite inflationary model that the predictions lie well inside the joint 68% CL for the Planck data, but is in tension with the recent BICEP2 observations. In the case of the glueball inflationary model, the predictions satisfy the Planck results. However, this model can produce a large tensor-to-scalar ratio consistent with the recent BICEP2 observations if the number of e-foldings is slightly smaller than the range commonly used. For a super Yang-Mills paradigm, we discover that the predictions satisfy the Planck data, and surprisingly a large tensor-to-scalar ratio consistent with the BICEP2 results can also be produced for an acceptable range of the number of e-foldings and of the confining scale. In the small non-minimal coupling regions, all of the models can satisfy the BICEP2 results. However, the predictions of the glueball and superglueball inflationary models cannot satisfy the observational bound on the amplitude of the curvature perturbation launched by Planck, and the techni-inflaton self-coupling in the minimal composite inflationary model is constrained to be extremely small.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Inflationary magnetogenesis without the strong coupling problem II: constraints from CMB anisotropies and B-modes

Recent observational claims of magnetic fields stronger than 10{sup −16} G in the extragalactic medium motivate a new look for their origin in the inflationary magnetogenesis models. In this work we shall review the constraints on the simplest gauge invariant model f{sup 2}(φ)F{sub μν}F{sup μν} of inflationary magnetogenesis, and show that in the optimal region of parameter space the anisotropic constraints coming from the induced bispectrum, due to the generated electromagnetic fields, yield the strongest constraints. In this model, only a very fine tuned scenario at an energy scale of inflation as low as 10{sup −2} GeV can explain the observations of void magnetic fields. These findings are consistent with the recently derived upper bound on the inflationary energy scale. However, if the detection of primordial tensor modes by BICEP2 is confirmed, the possibility of low scale inflation is excluded. Assuming the validity of the BICEP2 claim of a tensor-to-scalar ratio r = 0.2{sup +0.07}{sub −0.05}, we provide the updated constraints on this model of inflationary magnetogenesis. On the Mpc scale, we find that the maximal allowed magnetic field strength from inflation is less than 10{sup −30} G.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Ruling out the power-law form of the scalar primordial spectrum

Combining Planck CMB temperature [1] and BICEP2 B-mode polarization data [2,3] we show qualitatively that, assuming inflationary consistency relation, the power-law form of the scalar primordial spectrum is ruled out at more than 3σ CL. This is an important finding, since the power-law form of the scalar primordial spectrum is one of the main assumptions of concordance model of cosmology and also a direct prediction of many inflationary scenarios. We show that a break or step in the form of the primordial scalar perturbation spectrum, similar to what we studied recently analyzing Planck data [4], can address both Planck and BICEP2 results simultaneously. Our findings also indicate that the data may require more flexibilities than what running of scalar spectral index can provide. Finally we show that an inflaton potential, originally appeared in [5], can generate both the step and the break model of scalar primordial spectrum in two different limits. The discussed potential is found to be favored by Planck data but marginally disfavored by BICEP2 results as it produces slightly lower amplitude of tensor primordial spectrum. Hence, if the tensor-to-scalar ratio (r) quoted by BICEP2 persists, it is of importance that we generate inflationary models with large r and at the same time provide suppression in scalar primordial spectrum at large scales.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

New sources of gravitational waves during inflation

We point out that detectable inflationary tensor modes can be generated by particle or string sources produced during inflation, consistently with the requirements for inflation and constraints from scalar fluctuations. We show via examples that this effect can dominate over the contribution from quantum fluctuations of the metric, occurring even when the inflationary potential energy is too low to produce a comparable signal. Thus a detection of tensor modes from inflation does not automatically constitute a determination of the inflationary Hubble scale.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗