Consistent Cosmic Microwave Background Spectra from Quantum Depletion

TL;DR

This paper explores how a quantum cosmological model affects the cosmic microwave background spectra, highlighting the impact of inflaton mass on observable perturbations and deviations from standard predictions.

Contribution

It provides a quantitative analysis of CMB spectrum modifications based on a quantum depletion model of the inflaton and graviton condensate.

Findings

Inflaton mass influences the power spectra and tensor-to-scalar ratio.

Planck-scale inflaton masses cause significant deviations in spectra.

Standard spectra are recovered for small inflaton masses.

Abstract

Following a new quantum cosmological model proposed by Dvali and Gomez, we quantitatively investigate possible modifications to the Hubble parameter and following corrections to the cosmic microwave background spectrum. In this model, scalar and tensor perturbations are generated by the quantum depletion of the background inflaton and graviton condensate respectively. We show how the inflaton mass affects the power spectra and the tensor-to-scalar ratio. Masses approaching the Planck scale would lead to strong deviations, while standard spectra are recovered for an inflaton mass much smaller than the Planck mass.