Published September 1, 2018 | Version v1
Journal article

Tunneling in stochastic inflation

  • 1. Department of Physics, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14395-547 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)
  • 2. Laboratoire Astroparticule et Cosmologie, Université Denis Diderot Paris 7, 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, 75013 Paris (France)
  • 3. Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Dennis Sciama Building, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth, PO1 3FX (United Kingdom)
  • 4. School of Astronomy, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, P.O. Box 19395-5531 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

Description

The relative probability to decay towards different vacua during inflation is studied. The calculation is performed in single-field slow-roll potentials using the stochastic inflation formalism. Various situations are investigated, including falling from a local maximum of the potential and escaping from a local minimum. In the latter case, our result is consistent with that of Hawking and Moss, but is applicable to any potential. The decay rates are also computed, and the case of a generic potential with multiple minima and maxima is discussed.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2018/09/032

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Journal Volume
2018
Journal Issue
09
Journal Page Range
p. 032
ISSN
1475-7516

INIS

Country of Publication
United Kingdom
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
51057447
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
COSMOLOGICAL INFLATION; PROBABILITY; STOCHASTIC PROCESSES; TUNNEL EFFECT; VACUUM STATES