Abstract
The nonminimal coupling of a self-interacting complex scalar field with gravity is studied. For a Robertson-Walker open universe the stable solutions of the scalar-field equations are time dependent. As a result of this, a novel spontaneous symmetry breaking occurs which leads to a varying effective gravitational coupling coefficient. It is found that the coupling coefficient changes sign below a critical radius of the Universe implying the appearance of repulsive gravity. The occurrence of the repulsive interaction at an early epoch facilitates singularity avoidance. The model also provides a solution to the horizon problem.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2196-2200 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Physical Review D |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1986 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)