DOI 10.1007/s100529800842
The inflaton as dark matter
S. Barshay - G. Kreyerhoff
III. Physikalisches Institut A, RWTH Aachen, D-52056 Aachen, Germany
Received: 26 November 1997 / Revised version: 8 December 1997 / Published online: 24 March 1998
Abstract
Within the framework of an explicit dynamical model, in
which we calculate the radiatively-corrected, tree-level potential
that sets up inflation, we show that the inflaton can be a significant
part of dark matter today. We exhibit potentials with both a maximum and
a minimum. Using the calculated position of the potential minimum,
and an estimate for fluctuations of the inflaton field in the early
universe, we calculate a contribution to the matter energy density
of 
in the present universe, from cold inflatons
with mass of about 
. We show that the inflaton might
decay in a specific way, and we calculate a possible lifetime
that is several orders
of magnitude greater than the present age of the universe. Inflaton decay
is related to an interaction which, together with a spontaneous breakdown
of CP invariance at a cosmological energy scale, can give rise to a
neutrino-antineutrino asymmetry just prior to the time of electroweak
symmetry breaking.
Copyright Springer-Verlag
