Particle production from non-minimal coupling in a symmetry breaking potential transporting vacuum energy
Belfiglio A. Carloni Y. Luongo O.
May 2024Elsevier B.V.
Physics of the Dark Universe
2024#44
We propose an inflationary scenario where the inflaton field is non-minimally coupled to spacetime curvature and inflation is driven by a vacuum energy symmetry breaking potential without specifying a priori whether the inflaton field is small or large. As we incorporate vacuum energy into our analysis, we further explore the implications of a non-zero potential offset within inflationary dynamics. We propose that vacuum energy can transform into particles as a result of the transition triggered by spontaneous symmetry breaking. This entails a vacuum energy cancellation that yields an effective cosmological constant during inflation by virtue of a quasi-de Sitter evolution and shows that vacuum energy contribution can manifest as geometric particles produced by inflaton fluctuations, with particular emphasis on super-Hubble modes. We conjecture these particles as quasi-particles arising from interaction between the inflaton and spacetime geometry, enhanced by non-minimal coupling. Specifically, we propose that dark matter arises from a pure geometric quasi-particle contribution, quantifying the corresponding dark matter candidate ranges of mass. In this scenario, we further find that a zero potential offset leads to a bare cosmological constant at the end of inflation, while a negative offset would require an additional kinetic (or potential) contribution in order to be fully-canceled. In this regard, we conclude that the scenario of large-field inflation is preferred since it necessitates a more appropriate selection of the offset. Our conclusion is reinforced as small-field inflation would lead to a significant screening of the Newtonian gravitational constant as inflation ends.
Cosmological constant problem , Dark energy , Dark matter , Vacuum energy
Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи
University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, Camerino, 62032, Italy
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Perugia, Perugia, 06123, Italy
Department of Mathematics and Physics, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Utica, 13502, NY, United States
INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Milano, Italy
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan
University of Camerino
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)
Department of Mathematics and Physics
INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026