Inflation-Dark Energy unified through Quantum Regeneration

TL;DR

This paper proposes a unified model of inflation and dark energy using a scalar field that undergoes quantum regeneration, explaining the coincidence problem and predicting extra relativistic energy and interacting dark energy.

Contribution

It introduces a novel scalar field model where quantum regeneration connects inflation to dark energy, differing from classical transition mechanisms.

Findings

Predicts a scalar field decay at 100 TeV and regeneration near 1 eV.

Accounts for a w<-1 dark energy component.

Provides a potential explanation for the coincidence problem.

Abstract

We study a scalar phi field that unifies inflation and dark energy with a long period of a hot decelerating universe in between these two stages of inflation. A key feature is that the transition between the intermediate decelerated phase to the dark energy phase is related to a quantum regeneration of the scalar field phi instead to purely classical dynamics. The interaction V_int(phi,varphi) between phi and a second scalar field varphi allows not only for phi to decay at a high energy E_I, even though phi does not oscillate around the minimum of its potential, but it also regenerates phi at an energy E_{BD} \simeq E_I^2 close to present time. It predicts extra relativistic energy and an interacting dark energy which may account for a w<-1. In the model presented here we have E_I \simeq 100 TeV and E_{BD} \simeq 1 eV. The low value of the back decay energy E_{BD} gives an explanation of the coincidence problem.