Effective long wavelength scalar dynamics in de Sitter

TL;DR

This paper develops an effective infrared theory for a light scalar in de Sitter space, incorporating quantum UV corrections and leading to a second-order stochastic evolution described by a Kramers equation, enabling detailed analysis of field and stress-energy dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to derive a second-order stochastic dynamics with quantum UV corrections for scalar fields in de Sitter space, extending the traditional Starobinsky model.

Findings

Derivation of a second-order stochastic equation for long wavelength scalar dynamics.

Inclusion of quantum UV corrections leading to an effective potential.

Ability to compute stress-energy tensor non-perturbatively within the stochastic framework.

Abstract

We discuss the effective infrared theory governing a light scalar's long wavelength dynamics in de Sitter spacetime. We show how the separation of scales around the physical curvature radius $k/a \sim H$ can be performed consistently with a window function and how short wavelengths can be integrated out in the Schwinger-Keldysh path integral formalism. At leading order, and for time scales $\Delta t \gg H^{-1}$, this results in the well-known Starobinsky stochastic evolution. However, our approach allows for the computation of quantum UV corrections, generating an effective potential on which the stochastic dynamics takes place. The long wavelength stochastic dynamical equations are now second order in time, incorporating temporal scales $\Delta t \sim H^{-1}$ and resulting in a Kramers equation for the probability distribution - more precisely the Wigner function - in contrast to the more usual Fokker-Planck equation. This feature allows us to non-perturbatively evaluate, within the stochastic formalism, not only expectation values of field correlators, but also the stress-energy tensor of $\phi$.