https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-015-3666-4
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Shape of the inflaton potential and the efficiency of the universe heating
1
Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
2
ITEP, Bol. Cheremushkinskaya ul., 25, Moscow, 113259, Russia
3
Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Polo Scientifico e Tecnologico – Edificio C, Via Saragat 1, 44122, Ferrara, Italy
4
Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation, Troitsk, Moscow, 142190, Russia
5
Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
* e-mail: dolgov@fe.infn.it
Received:
19
May
2015
Accepted:
6
September
2015
Published online:
21
September
2015
It is shown that the efficiency of the universe heating by an inflaton field depends not only on the possible presence of parametric resonance in the production of scalar particles but also strongly depends on the character of the inflaton approach to its mechanical equilibrium point. In particular, when the inflaton oscillations deviate from pure harmonic ones toward a succession of step functions, the production probability rises by several orders of magnitude. This in turn leads to a much higher temperature of the universe after the inflaton decay, in comparison to the harmonic case. An example of the inflaton potential is presented which creates a proper modification of the evolution of the inflaton toward equilibrium and does not destroy the nice features of inflation.
© SIF and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2015
