Inflaton after chaotic inflation

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of the inflaton field after chaotic inflation, specifically examining the expression for the inflaton, \(\phi=\frac{m_p}{m \sqrt{3\pi}t} \sin(mt)\), and its implications regarding slow roll conditions and the equations of motion. Participants explore theoretical aspects of chaotic inflation, its relationship with eternal inflation, and the dynamics during the reheating phase.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions why the inflaton behaves as \(\phi=\frac{m_p}{m \sqrt{3\pi}t} \sin(mt)\) after chaotic inflation, noting that it does not satisfy slow roll conditions or the equations of motion.
  • Another participant suggests that chaotic inflation continues without slow roll, referencing Wikipedia as a source for this understanding.
  • A different participant claims to have solved the issue, stating that chaotic inflation ends when slow roll ends, leading to oscillations around the potential minimum during the reheating phase, and proposes that the sinusoidal solution is valid in this context.
  • One participant highlights the common confusion between eternal and chaotic inflation, providing an article for further clarification.
  • Another participant elaborates on the distinction between chaotic and eternal inflation, explaining that chaotic inflation refers to initial conditions while eternal inflation pertains to the global properties of the inflationary era, suggesting that regions of the universe may still be inflating.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between chaotic and eternal inflation, with some asserting they are distinct while others argue they can coexist. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of the inflaton's behavior and the conditions under which chaotic inflation transitions to reheating.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the assumptions made about the inflaton dynamics, the definitions of chaotic and eternal inflation, and the mathematical steps involved in deriving the sinusoidal behavior of the inflaton.

pleasehelpmeno
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Can anyone explain to me why after chaotic inflation with V=\frac{1}{2}m^2 \phi^2 that the inflaton behaves as;
\phi=\frac{m_p}{m \sqrt{3\pi}t} \sin(mt).

because this doesn't satify the slow roll conditions or the eqn of motion for the inflaton. I have read that it asymptotically approaches ths for large mt but i don't really understand it.
thx
 
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I think i have actually solved it anyway, although feedback would be good.

The wiki article is misleading eternal and chaotic inflation aren't the same things.

Chaotic inflation ends when Slow roll ends and it is at this point the inflaton oscillates around the minima of the potential and we are in the 'reheating' phase. I found that the period is matter dom in 'preheating' and rad dom in traditional 'reheating' so using that and the eqn:
\ddot{\phi} + 3H\dot{\phi} + m^2 \phi one can sub in the sinusoidal value and that show that it is a solution for this preheating phase.
 
Chaotic and eternal inflation are not necessarily exclusive terms -- they describe different aspects of the inflationary peroid. Saying that inflation is "chaotic" is to say something about the initial conditions of the inflaton field. In Linde's original chaotic inflation model based on the m^2\phi^2 potential, the field takes on a wide range of values throughout the universe. This is to be contrasted with 'new', or 'hilltop' inflation in which the field begins inflation fairly localized at the local maximum of the potential. Linde described this property as "chaotic".

Meanwhile, the term "eternal" describes the global properties of the inflationary era. Of course inflation was not eternal in our observable universe, because we stopped inflating. But it's entirely possible that inflation is ongoing somewhere else in the universe -- outside our Hubble sphere. Linde's chaotic model is in fact eternal, in the sense that one finds that there are regions of the universe that are always still inflating (depending on the field vev, \langle \phi \rangle, quantum fluctuations are large enough to work against the classical slow roll motion towards V=0, so that certain regions of the universe always have \langle \phi \rangle > a\, few\, M_{Pl} so that inflation keeps going.)

But there are also regions of the universe where the m^2\phi^2 finds its way down close enough to V=0 to end inflation. At that time, the field oscillates about the minimum of V, giving the time dependence \phi(t) \propto \sin(mt) quoted by the OP.

So chaotic inflation is eternal, but that's not inconsistent with the fact that we live in a region of the universe in which inflation ended.
 

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