Radion Potential and Brane Dynamics

Abstract

We examine the cosmology of the Randall-Sundrum model in a dynamic setting where scalar fields are present in the bulk as well as the branes. This generates a mechanism similar to that of Goldberger-Wise for radion stabilization and the recovery of late-cosmology features in the branes. Due to the induced radion dynamics, the inflating branes roll towards the minimum of the radion potential, thereby exiting inflation and reheating the Universe. In the slow roll part of the potential, the 'TeV' branes have maximum inflation rate and energy as their coupling to the radion and bulk modes have minimum suppresion. Hence, when rolling down the steep end of the potential towards the stable point, the radion field (which appears as the inflaton of the effective 4D theory in the branes) decays very fast, reheats the Universe .This process results decayin a decrease of brane's canonical vacuum energy $Λ_4$. However, at the minimum of the potential $Λ_4$ is small but not neccessarily zero and the fine-tuning issue remains .Density perturbation constraints introduce an upper bound when the radion stabilizies. Due to the large radion mass and strong suppression to the bulk modes, moduli problems and bulk reheating do not occur. The reheat temperature and a sufficient number of e-folding constraints for the brane-universe are also satisfied. The model therefore recovers the radiation dominated FRW universe.