Scale Invariance, Mass and Cosmology

TL;DR

This paper explores how scale-invariant theories of gravity can generate mass and have implications for cosmology, including inflation and late universe models, by introducing a dilaton field and measure fields in a covariant framework.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to mass generation in scale-invariant gravitational theories using measure fields and a dilaton, with potential applications in cosmology.

Findings

Mass terms can be generated in a scale-invariant manner for matter fields.

The framework allows for non-trivial dilaton potentials influencing cosmological dynamics.

Implications for inflation and late universe models are discussed.

Abstract

The possibility of mass in the context of scale-invariant, generally covariant theories, is discussed. The realizations of scale invariance which are considered, are in the context of a gravitational theory where the action, in the first order formalism, is of the form $S = \int L_{1} \Phi d^4x$ + $\int L_{2}\sqrt{-g}d^4x$ where $\Phi$ is a density built out of degrees of freedom independent of gravity, which we call the "measure fields". For global scale invariance, a "dilaton" $\phi$ has to be introduced, with non-trivial potentials $V(\phi)$ = $f_{1}e^{\alpha\phi}$ in $L_1$ and $U(\phi)$ = $f_{2}e^{2\alpha\phi}$ in $L_2$. This leads to non-trivial mass generation and potential for $\phi$. Mass terms for an arbitrary matter field can appear in a scale invariant form both in $L_1$ and in $L_2$ where they are coupled to different exponentials of the field $\phi$. Implications of these results for cosmology having in mind in particular inflationary scenarios, models of the late universe and modified gravitational theories are discussed.