English

Ultra-Light Scalar Fields and the Growth of Structure in the Universe

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology 2010-12-23 v1 Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

Abstract

Ultra-light scalar fields, with masses of between m=10^{-33} eV and m=10^{-22} eV, can affect the growth of structure in the Universe. We identify the different regimes in the evolution of ultra-light scalar fields, how they affect the expansion rate of the universe and how they affect the growth rate of cosmological perturbations. We find a number of interesting effects, discuss how they might arise in realistic scenarios of the early universe and comment on how they might be observed.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1009.3501,
  title  = {Ultra-Light Scalar Fields and the Growth of Structure in the Universe},
  author = {David J. E. Marsh and Pedro G. Ferreira},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1009.3501},
  year   = {2010}
}

Comments

12 pages, 11 figures