Inflation, comoving Hubble radius and particle horizon

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the mechanism of Inflation in cosmology, specifically the relationship between the particle horizon and the comoving Hubble radius. The definition of inflation is established through the condition ##\frac{d}{dt} \frac{1}{aH} < 0##, leading to the conclusion that ##\ddot a > 0##. The necessity of having ##\frac{1}{aH} \ll \chi_p## in the early universe is emphasized, as it allows for causal contact among particles. The shrinking comoving Hubble radius is identified as a consequence of accelerated expansion, necessitating a period of inflation to ensure overlapping particle horizons.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of cosmological terms such as "particle horizon" and "comoving Hubble radius"
  • Familiarity with the concept of inflation in cosmology
  • Knowledge of the Friedmann equations and their implications
  • Basic grasp of conformal time and its role in cosmological models
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  • Study the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) metric in cosmology
  • Learn about the implications of accelerated expansion on cosmic structures
  • Investigate the role of inflationary models in solving the horizon problem
  • Explore the mathematical formulation of the Hubble parameter and its evolution
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Astronomers, cosmologists, and physics students interested in understanding the dynamics of the early universe and the implications of inflationary theory on cosmic evolution.

JJNic
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I have a question regarding the exact formulation of the mechanism of Inflation.

In thehttp://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/db275/Cosmology/Lectures.pdf he uses ##\frac{d}{dt} \frac{1}{aH} < 0## as an definition of inflation. I see that it yields ## \ddot a > 0##, but my confusion lies in the interplay between the particle horizon and the comoving Hubble radius.
Why do we require ## \frac{1}{aH} \ll \chi_p## in the early universe? He says
This means that particles can’t communicate now (or when the CMB was created), but were in causal contact early on.
But i don't see how that goes about.I am especially confused by figure 2.3 on page 33 (i cropped and attached it for your convenience),
Screen Shot 2015-12-01 at 17.30.41.png


I see that the horizon problem gets solved because the points p and q now have overlapping particle horizons, but what does the comoving Hubble sphere have to do with it?
They would still have overlapping particle horizons if i did not draw the Hubble sphere or if i drew it differently. Or is it not possible to have both things at the same time? (a different Hubble sphere AND overlapping particle horizons of p and q).
To me it just seems that "adding more conformal time before the initial singularity and shift it to -inf. or less" s.t. p and q have overlapping particle horizons would do the job just fine, not worrying about the comoving Hubble radius.So, i am obviously missing something, but what is it?

Thanks!
 
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The shrinking comoving Hubble radius is a consequence of the accelerated rate of expansion, and nothing more. Indeed, simply "adding more conformal time before the initial singularity..." is all you need to ensure that the particle horizons overlap, but there is no room to simply "add more" in the standard cosmology. We must postulate a period of inflation to give us the extra room, and the shrinking comoving Hubble scale is a result of this requirement.
 

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