English

Dynamics of the Inflationary Flow Equations

Astrophysics 2008-10-30 v3

Abstract

We present a dynamical analysis of the inflationary flow equations. Our technique uses the Hubble `jerk' parameter as a discriminant of stability of fixed points. The results of the analysis are used to explain qualitatively the distribution of various observable parameters (e.g. the tensor-scalar ratio, r, and scalar spectral index, n_s) seen in numerical solutions of the flow equations using stochastic initial conditions. Finally, we give a physical interpretation of the flow in phase-space in terms of slow-roll motion of the inflaton.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0508355,
  title  = {Dynamics of the Inflationary Flow Equations},
  author = {Sirichai Chongchitnan and George Efstathiou},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0508355},
  year   = {2008}
}

Comments

9 pages 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review D