1995/12/31 by Katherine Freese, Tony Gherghetta, Hideyuki Umeda
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Cosmic string #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Flatness (cosmology) #Inflation (cosmology) #Inflaton #Mathematics #Moduli #Phase transition #Physics #Quantum mechanics #String (physics) #Theoretical physics #Topological defect #Topological quantum number #Topology (electrical circuits) #Universe #astro-ph #hep-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.54.6083
published as Phys.Rev. D54 (1996) 6083-6087 · 12 pages, plain TeX; Comments and references added, version to appear in Phys. Rev. D
arxiv created 1996/10/08 · openalex publication_date 1996/11/15 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
It is tempting to inflate along one of the many flat directions that arise in supersymmetric theories. The required flatness of the potential to obtain sufficient inflation and to not overproduce density fluctuations occurs naturally. However, the density perturbations (in the case of a single moduli field) that arise from inflaton quantum fluctuations are too small for structure formation. Here we propose that topological defects (such as cosmic strings), which arise during a phase transition near the end of moduli inflation can provide an alternative source of structure. The strings produced will be "fat," yet have the usual evolution by the time of nucleosynthesis. Possible models are discussed.