Global quenches and correlator dynamics in de Sitter space

Abstract

We study non-equilibrium initial states of quantum fields in curved space-time and develop a framework for describing global quenches as unitary perturbations of the initial density matrix. Using the Keldysh-Schwinger functional integral, we derive expressions for post-quench correlators in arbitrary geometries and apply the method to both Minkowski and de Sitter backgrounds. In flat space, the approach reproduces the known relaxation behaviour for massive fields and reveals qualitatively distinct dynamics in the massless case. In de Sitter space, we find that the late-time decay of quench-induced corrections depends sensitively on the mass and may influence the behaviour of cosmological observables such as the power spectrum. The framework also extends straightforwardly to non-Gaussian initial states, providing a basis for future studies of loop effects and primordial non-Gaussianities.