Space-Time Description of Scalar Particle Creation by a Homogeneous Isotropic Gravitational Field

TL;DR

This paper extends the space-time approach to scalar particle creation in a homogeneous isotropic gravitational field, analyzing the correlation functions and virtual particle interpretation in de Sitter space.

Contribution

It generalizes the method for nonconformal coupling and provides a detailed analysis of particle pairs and their virtual nature in de Sitter space.

Findings

Correlation functions for created pairs are derived.

Created pairs in de Sitter space are virtual particles.

Adiabatic metric change is analyzed.

Abstract

We give the generalization of the method of the space-time description of particle creation by a gravitational field for a scalar field with nonconformal coupling to the curvature. The space-time correlation function is obtained for a created pair of the quasi-particles, corresponding to a diagonal form of the instantaneous Hamiltonian. The case of an adiabatic change of the metric of homogeneous isotropic space is analyzed. We show that the created pairs of quasi-particles in de Sitter space should be interpreted as pairs of virtual particles.