Particle creation and decay in nonminimally coupled models of gravity
Abstract
In extended models of gravity a nonminimal coupling to matter has been assumed to lead to irreversible particle creation. In this paper we challenge this assumption. We argue that a non-minimal coupling of the matter and gravitational sectors results in a change in particle-momentum on a cosmological timescale, irrespective of particle creation or decay. We further argue that particle creation or decay associated with a non-minimal coupling to gravity could only happen as a result of significant deviations from a homogeneous Friedmann-Robertson-Walker geometry on microscopic scales, and provide a phenomenological description of the impact of particle creation or decay on the cosmological evolution of the density of the matter fields.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1901.06299,
title = {Particle creation and decay in nonminimally coupled models of gravity},
author = {R. P. L. Azevedo and P. P. Avelino},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1901.06299},
year = {2019}
}
Comments
5 pages, resubmited to more closely resemble published version