Rolling with quantum fields

Abstract

We study the dynamics of a classical scalar field that rolls down a linear potential as it interacts bi-quadratically with a quantum field. We explicitly solve the dynamical problem by using the classical-quantum correspondence (CQC). Rolling solutions on the effective potential are shown to compare very poorly with the full solution. Spatially homogeneous initial conditions maintain their homogeneity and small inhomogeneities in the initial conditions do not grow.