A new mechanism of realizing inflationary universe with recourse to backreaction of quantized free fields -- Inflation without inflaton --

Abstract

It is shown that the inflationary era in early universe is realized due to the effect of backreaction of quantized matter fields. In fact we start by quantizing a free scalar field in the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker space-time, and the field is fluctuating quantum mechanically around the bottom of the mass potential. We then obtain the vacuum expectation value of the energy density of the scalar field as a functional of the scale factor $a(t)$ of the universe. By plugging it into the Einstein equation, a self-consistent equation is established in which the matter fields determine the time evolution of the universe. We solve this equation by setting few conditions and find the following solution: the universe expands \`{a} la de Sitter with e-folding number $\gtrsim 60$ and then it turns to shrink with a decreasing Hubble parameter $H(t)$ which rapidly goes to zero.