The evolution and decay of supersymmetric flat directions in the early universe and their role in thermalizing the universe
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Abstract
I study the post-inflation oscillation and decay of light coherent scalar field condensates
that may develop during an inflationary phase of the universe. In particular, the
light scalars studied are a composition of the scalar particles of a supersymmetric
theory which correspond to the flat directions of the theory's scalar potential. Some
toy models that possess supersymmetric flat directions are presented and numerical
solutions for the evolution of the scalar fields are obtained. Both analytic and numeric
results suggest that such condensates, if they existed in the early universe, can decay
through a rapid and nonperturbative process long before these condensates could
significantly affect the thermalization of the universe.
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University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. December 2008. Major: Physcis. Advisor: Prof. Marco Peloso. 1 computer file (PDF); viii, 179 pages, appendices A-G.
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Sexton, Matthew G.. (2008). The evolution and decay of supersymmetric flat directions in the early universe and their role in thermalizing the universe. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/47773.
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