English

O(N) Quantum fields in curved spacetime

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2009-10-30 v1 High Energy Physics - Phenomenology

Abstract

For the O(N) field theory with lambda Phi^4 self-coupling, we construct the two-particle-irreducible (2PI), closed-time-path (CTP) effective action in a general curved spacetime. From this we derive a set of coupled equations for the mean field and the variance. They are useful for studying the nonperturbative, nonequilibrium dynamics of a quantum field when full back reactions of the quantum field on the curved spacetime, as well as the fluctuations on the mean field, are required. Applications to phase transitions in the early Universe such as the Planck scale or in the reheating phase of chaotic inflation are under investigation.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.gr-qc/9706001,
  title  = {O(N) Quantum fields in curved spacetime},
  author = {S. A. Ramsey and B. L. Hu},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:gr-qc/9706001},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

31 pages, 2 figures, uses RevTeX 3.1, LaTeX 2e, AMSfonts 2.2, graphics 0.6; To appear in Phys. Rev. D (7/15/97)