Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 1505.03901

Cosmological Particle Production at Strong Coupling

Abstract

We study the dynamics of a strongly-coupled quantum field theory in a cosmological spacetime using the holographic AdS/CFT correspondence. Specifically we consider a confining gauge theory in an expanding FRW universe and track the evolution of the stress-energy tensor during a period of expansion, varying the initial temperature as well as the rate and amplitude of the expansion. At strong coupling, particle production is inseparable from entropy production. As a result, we find significant qualitative differences from the weak coupling results: at strong coupling the system rapidly loses memory of its initial state as the amplitude is increased. Furthermore, in the regime where the Hubble parameter is parametrically smaller than the initial temperature, the dynamics is well modelled as a plasma evolving hydrodynamically towards equilibrium.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Mukund Rangamani, Moshe Rozali, Mark Van Raamsdonk. 2015-09-29. Cosmological Particle Production at Strong Coupling. https://arxiv.org/abs/1505.03901

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Gaillard-Zumino non-invertible symmetries

We uncover an infinite class of novel zero-form non-invertible symmetries in a broad family of four-dimensional models, studied years ago by Gaillard and Zumino (GZ), which includes several extended supergravities as particular subcases. The GZ models consist of abelian gauge fields coupled to a neutral sector, typically including a set of scalars, whose equations of motion are classically invariant under a continuous group $\mathscr{G}$ acting on the electric and magnetic field strengths via symplectic transformations. The standard lore holds that, at the quantum level, these symmetries are broken to an integral subgroup $\mathscr{G}_\mathbb{Z}$. We show that, in fact, a much larger subgroup $\mathscr{G}_\mathbb{Q}$ survives, albeit through non-invertible topological defects. We explicitly construct these defects and compute some of their fusion rules. As illustrative examples, we consider the axion-dilaton-Maxwell model and the bosonic sector of a class of $\mathcal{N}=2$ supergravities of the kind that appear in type II Calabi-Yau compactifications. Finally, we comment on how (part of) these non-invertible zero-form symmetries can be broken by gauging the $\mathscr{G}_\mathbb{Z}$ subgroup of invertible symmetries.

hep-th

On the resolution of categorical symmetries in (Non-) Unitary Rational CFTs

We explore several aspects of categorical symmetry-resolved entanglement entropy (SREE) directly within two-dimensional rational conformal field theory (RCFT) (without invoking any SymTFT construction arXiv:2409.02806). We derive a general formula applicable whenever the action of the relevant topological defect lines on the annulus Hilbert space is known. This framework accommodates weakly and strongly symmetric boundaries, cloaking states, and fusion rings with multiplicities. We verify the formula in a range of diagonal unitary and non-unitary examples, including theories with generalized Haagerup-Izumi modular data. Furthermore, we extend the analysis to non-diagonal RCFTs. The $\frac{1}{2}E_6$ example demonstrates that closed-channel modular data and NIM-rep multiplicities alone do not suffice to determine the defect action on the complete open-channel Hilbert space.

hep-th

Reflecting boundary conditions in critical loop models

In critical loop models, we call a boundary sticky if loops can attach to it, and reflecting otherwise. Using analytic bootstrap methods, we show that reflecting boundaries are characterised by one complex parameter, analogous to the boundary cosmological constant in Liouville theory. We determine disc 1-point functions, and write an explicit formula for disc 2-point functions as infinite combinations of conformal blocks. We also sketch the lattice interpretation of reflecting boundaries.

hep-th