Related papers: Perturbations in a non-singular bouncing Universe
Recently, evidence has been collected that a class of gravitational theories with certain non-local operators is renormalizable. We consider one such model which, at the linear perturbative level, reproduces the effective non-local action…
We study the cosmology of a Lee-Wick type scalar field theory. First, we consider homogeneous and isotropic background solutions and find that they are nonsingular, leading to cosmological bounces. Next, we analyze the spectrum of…
The production of a background of super-horizon curvature perturbations with the appropriate (red) spectrum needed to trigger the cosmic anisotropies observed on large scales is associated, in the context of pre-big bang inflation, with a…
We introduce three families of classical and quantum solutions to the leading order of string effective action on spatially homogeneous $(2+1)$-dimensional space-times with the sources given by the contributions of dilaton, antisymmetric…
The observed value of the Higgs mass indicates an instability of the Higgs scalar at large energy scales, and hence also at large field values. In the context of early universe cosmology, this is often considered to lead to problems. Here…
We present exact inhomogeneous and anisotropic cosmological solutions of low-energy string theory containing dilaton and axion fields. The spacetime metric possesses cylindrical symmetry. The solutions describe ever-expanding universes with…
We develop a new approach to study the nonlinear evolution in the large-scale structure of the Universe both in real space and in redshift space, extending the standard perturbation theory of gravitational instability. Infinite series of…
At low energy, the four-dimensional effective action of the ekpyrotic model of the universe is equivalent to a slightly modified version of the pre big bang model. We discuss cosmological perturbations in these models. In particular we…
It is stressed that the kinematical problems of the standard cosmological model can be solved by a phase of accelerated contraction of the cosmic scale factor. Such a behaviour is only a particular case of a more general ``pre-big-bang"…
I generalize the three-point amplitude of curvature perturbations in the climbing scenario inspired by ten-dimensional non-supersymmetric strings to a broader class of exponential potentials, under some assumptions on the smoothing effects…
We present a short introduction to a non-standard cosmological scenario motivated by the duality symmetries of string theory, in which the big bang singularity is replaced with a "big bounce" at high but finite curvature. The bouncing epoch…
String cosmology aims at providing a reliable description of the very early Universe in the regime where standard-model physics is no longer appropriate, and where we can safely apply the basic ingredients of superstring models such as…
We present a model of non-relativistic gravitational theory which is power-counting renormalizable in 3+1 dimensional spacetime. When applied to cosmology, the relativity-violation terms lead to a dark radiation component, which can give…
The properties of a string-inspired two-dimensional theory of gravity are studied. The post-Newtonian and weak-field approximations, `stellar' structure and cosmological solutions of this theory are developed. Some qualitative similarities…
I report recent studies on the evolution of perturbations in the context of the ``pre-big-bang" scenario typical of string cosmology, with emphasis on the formation of a stochastic background of relic photons and gravitons, and its possible…
We consider new cosmological solutions with a collapsing, an intermediate and an expanding phase. The boundary between the expanding (collapsing) phase and the intermediate phase is seen by comoving observers as a cosmological past (future)…
One of the greatest problems of standard cosmology is the Big Bang singularity. Previously it has been shown that non-local ghostfree higher-derivative modifications of Einstein gravity in the ultra-violet regime can admit non-singular…
We consider the question of asymptotic observables in cosmology. We assume that string theory contains a landscape of vacua, and that metastable de Sitter regions can decay to zero cosmological constant by bubble nucleation. The asymptotic…
The investigation of quantum gravity effects in order to avoid the big bang singularity is a requisite, so that the idea of oscillating universes is introduced as an alternative for standard cosmological model. Therefore, the Friedmann…
We give a concise, self-contained introduction to perturbation theory in cosmology at linear and second order, striking a balance between mathematical rigour and usability. In particular we discuss gauge issues and the active and passive…