Work

Constructing infrared finite propagators in inflating space-time

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: The usual (Bunch-Davies) Feynman propagator of a massless field is not well defined in an expanding universe due to the presence of infrared divergences. We propose a new propagator which yields IR finite answers to any correlation function. The key point is that in a de Sitter space-time there is an ambiguity in the zero mode of the propagator. This ambiguity can be used to cancel the apparent divergences which arise in some loop calculations in eternally (or semieternally) inflating space-time. We refer to this process as zero-mode modification. The residual ambiguity is fixed by observational measurement.

Source: Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields

DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.82.023525

Authors: Arvind Rajaraman, Jason Kumar, Louis Leblond

Institutions: University of California, Irvine, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Hawaii System, Perimeter Institute

Language: English

Topic: Cosmology and Gravitation Theories

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W1995907488

FWCI: 3.221

Cites: 49

Cited by: 29

Related to: 10