Loop quantum cosmology and slow roll inflation

Abhay Ashtekar, David Sloan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

114 Scopus citations

Abstract

In loop quantum cosmology (LQC) the big bang is replaced by a quantum bounce which is followed by a robust phase of super-inflation. Rather than growing unboundedly in the past, the Hubble parameter vanishes at the bounce and attains a finite universal maximum at the end of super-inflation. These novel features lead to an unforeseen implication: in presence of suitable potentials all LQC dynamical trajectories are funneled to conditions which virtually guarantee slow roll inflation with more than 68 e-foldings, without any input from the pre-big bang regime. This is in striking contrast to certain results in general relativity, where it is argued that the a priori probability of obtaining a slow roll with 68 or more e-foldings is suppressed by a factor e-204.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)108-112
Number of pages5
JournalPhysics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
Volume694
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1 2010

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Nuclear and High Energy Physics

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