Inflation theory

endverse

How is the inflation theory supported by/related to the matter-antimatter annihilation concept of quantum mechanics?

Chalnoth

I don't see how the two are related at all.

Inflation is related to quantum theory, however. Typically inflation is considered to be driven by a specific sort of quantum-mechanical field, the simplest sort: a scalar field. If the scalar field has just the right sort of potential energy, and starts off with just the right sort of configuration, then you get inflation. When the scalar field that drives inflation reaches the minimum of its potential, it tends to decay into normal particles, transforming the massive energy density that previously drove a tremendous expansion rate into a huge temperature where matter and antimatter particles exist in equal parts.

endverse

Ah, okay. I wasn't sure of if they were related. I read something to this effect:

"But the last (important) thing that inflation predicts was so profound, because it wasn't yet observed when it was predicted. Quantum mechanics tells us that empty space isn't completely empty. It's full of particles (matter) and anti-particles (antimatter) that continuously get created, live for a brief while, meet back up together, and annihilate one another again. This happens over very short timescales, and gives rise to the Casimir effect"

and I don't fully understand how inflation "predicted" quantum mechanics.

friend

So is it the case, then, that a particle, the inflaton decays into spacetime, thus creating more spacetime, which is inflation? Or is it that the inflaton is an alternative expression of spacetime? If so, then wouldn't there be a small portion of the zero point energy that consists of inflatons popping into and out of existence along with every other kind of particle?

Chalnoth

Inflation doesn't predict quantum mechanics. This looks like the start of a description of how inflation predicts a specific spectrum of initial fluctuations which seed the structure of the universe. To describe how inflation predicts this spectrum requires some description of quantum mechanics.

Chalnoth

What? No, the inflaton decays into other particles, such as baryons, leptons, and more.

But yes, there would be some fraction of the zero point energy that consists of inflatons popping into and out of existence along with every other kind of particle, but you need a very specific distribution of inflatons over a finite (but small) region of space to get a new bit of inflation started.