Two-field Model Research Articles

Cascading Dark Energy

The standard cosmological model is in the midst of a stress test, thanks to the tension between supernova-based measurements of the Hubble constant H 0 and inferences of its values from cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies. Numerous explanations for the present-day cosmic acceleration require the presence of a new fundamental scalar field, as do early dark energy solutions to the Hubble tension. This raises the possibility that multiple fields cooperatively contribute to the dark energy component in bursts throughout cosmic time due to distinct initial conditions and couplings. Here, this cascading dark energy scenario is illustrated through a realization that effectively reduces to a two-field model, with two epochs in which dark energy is cosmologically significant. The model is compared to measurements of the CMB and baryon acoustic oscillations, as well as both PANTHEON and SH0ES observations of Type Ia supernovae. Neglecting the linear perturbations, it is found that this scenario ameliorates the Hubble tension, improving over purely late-time models of dark energy and the agreement between the galaxy survey measurements of baryon acoustic oscillations.

On the consistency of rapid-turn inflation

Recent studies, in the context of consistency conditions for rapid-turn and third order slow-roll inflation in two-field models, raised the question whether this regime can be sustained for more than a few e-folds of expansion. We answer this question in the affirmative by showing that the consistency conditions themselves ensure the longevity of the rapid-turn regime. Furthermore, we prove this for the most general definition of rapid turning (i.e., with a turning rate that is large compared to the slow-roll parameters, but not necessarily large compared to unity), using in the process a generalized consistency condition. We also show that a special class of rapid-turn models, including angular inflation, satisfy a large-(compared to 1)-turn-rate condition even for non-large turning rates.

Cosmological constraints on the background dynamics of a two-field nonsingular bounce model

In this study, we consider a nonsingular two-field bounce scenario with non-minimal kinetic coupling between two scalar fields. We derive constraints on the model parameters from the finiteness of the physical quantities at the classical level and from the relation between the late-time accelerated expansion and particle production up to the bounce phase. We then determine the allowed parameter space for the model.

Cosmologically consistent analysis of gravitational waves from hidden sectors

Production of gravitational waves in the early Universe is discussed in a cosmologically consistent analysis within a first-order phase transition involving a hidden sector feebly coupled with the visible sector. Each sector resides in its own heat bath leading to a potential dependent on two temperatures and on two fields: one a standard model Higgs field and the other a scalar arising from a hidden sector U(1) gauge theory. A synchronous evolution of the hidden and visible sector temperatures is carried out from the reheat temperature down to the electroweak scale. The hydrodynamics of two-field phase transitions, one for the visible and the other for the hidden is discussed, which leads to separate tunneling temperatures and different sound speeds for the two sectors. Gravitational waves emerging from the two sectors are computed and their imprint on the measured gravitational wave power spectrum vs frequency is analyzed in terms of bubble nucleation signature, i.e., detonation, deflagration, and hybrid. It is shown that the two-field model predicts gravitational waves accessible at several proposed gravitational wave detectors: LISA, DECIGO, BBO, and Taiji, and their discovery would probe specific regions of the hidden sector parameter space and may also shed light on the nature of bubble nucleation in the early Universe. The analysis presented here indicates that the cosmologically preferred models are those where the tunneling in the visible sector precedes the tunneling in the hidden sector and the sound speed cs lies below its maximum, i.e., cs2<13. It is of interest to investigate if these features are universal and applicable to a wider class of cosmologically consistent models. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Generalised conditions for rapid-turn inflation

Rapid-turn slow-roll inflationary trajectories have been shown to be an attractor in two-field models, provided the turn rate is near constant and larger than the slow-roll parameters. These trajectories can produce primordial spectra consistent with current observations on CMB scales. We present the generalized consistency condition for sustained rapid-turn inflationary trajectory with two fields, arbitrary field-space metric and potential valid for any value of the turn rate. This has to be supplemented by a second condition to ensure slow roll evolution. Both conditions together constitute a tool to identify inflationary trajectories with arbitrary values of the turning rate without having to solve the equations of motion. We present a Python package for the numerical identification of regions in field-space and parameter space that allow for rapid-turn trajectories.

Gyrofluid simulations of turbulence and reconnection in space plasmas

A Hamiltonian two-field gyrofluid model is used to investigate the dynamics of an electron-ion collisionless plasma subject to a strong ambient magnetic field, within a spectral range extending from the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) scales to the electron skin depth. This model isolates Alfvén, Kinetic Alfvén and Inertial Kinetic Alfvén waves that play a central role in space plasmas, and extends standard reduced fluid models to broader ranges of the plasma parameters. Recent numerical results are reviewed, including (i) the reconnection-mediated MHD turbulence developing from the collision of counter-propagating Alfvén wave packets, (ii) the specific features of the cascade dynamics in strongly imbalanced turbulence, including a possible link between the existence of a spectral transition range and the presence of co-propagating wave interactions at sub-ion scales, for which new simulations are reported, (iii) the influence of the ion-to-electron temperature ratio in two-dimensional collisionless magnetic reconnection. The role of electron finite Larmor radius corrections is pointed out and the extension of the present model to a four-field gyrofluid model is discussed. Such an extended model accurately describes electron finite Larmor radius effects at small or moderate values of the electron beta parameter, and also retains the coupling to slow magnetosonic waves.

The early universe as an open quantum system: complexity and decoherence

In this work, we extend previous results, demonstrating how complexity in an open quantum system can identify decoherence between two fields, even in the presence of an accelerating background. Using the curved-space Caldeira-Leggett two-field model in de Sitter as our toy model, we discover a distinctive feature, namely the appearance of a bump in the growth of complexity of purification, providing an alternative diagnostic for studying decoherence when the adiabatic perturbation is coupled to a heavy field. This paper initiates a new pathway to explore the features of quantum complexity in an accelerating background, thereby expanding our understanding of the evolution of primordial cosmological perturbations in the early universe.

Constraining multi-field inflation using the SPHEREx all-sky survey power spectra

We investigate how well the SPHEREx all-sky survey can constrain local primordial non-Gaussianity beyond the parameter f NL using galaxy power spectra. We forecast joint constraints on the parameters f NL, g NL and τ NL obtained assuming a simple two-field curvaton model of inflation. The parameters f NL and g NL characterise the squeezed limits of the primordial bispectrum and trispectrum respectively, and lead to a characteristic scale-dependence of the galaxy bias that increases out to arbitrarily large scales. Values of the parameter τ NL > (6/5f NL)2 cause the galaxy power spectrum to have a stochastic component which also increases out to arbitrarily large scales. Our MCMC forecasts indicate that SPHEREx can provide joint constraints on any two of the three parameters f NL, g NL and τ NL. Due to strong degeneracies among these parameters, measurements of the galaxy power spectra alone may not be sufficient to jointly constrain all three. Constraints on f NL, g NL and τ NL obtained from galaxy power spectrum observations depend on the modelling of underlying nuisance parameters. We study the robustness of our forecast constraints to modelling choices and note that even with relatively conservative modelling assumptions, SPHEREx galaxy power spectra can provide strong evidence of local non-Gaussianity, even if the particular values of f NL and g NL cannot be measured precisely.

Geometrically constrained multifield models with BNRT solutions

In this paper, we investigate multifield models in which the two-field BNRT model is coupled to a third field through mediator functions in the Lagrangian density. To conduct the investigation, we obtain the equations of motion and develop a first-order formalism based on energy minimization. Two possibilities are considered: (i) the third field acting in the mediator functions to modify the BNRT solutions; (ii) the BNRT fields feeding the mediator function to produce effects in the kink solution of the third field. In the case (i), the results show that the solutions may be related to the standard ones with the coordinate redefined in terms of the mediator functions if they are equal. This allows to induce effects similar to geometric constrictions in the core, or to compactify the tail of the BNRT solutions. If the mediator functions differ one from another, we show that the effects are distinct, with the compactification of just one of the two-field solutions. In the case (ii), the orbit parameter of the model plays an important role, modifying the mediator function that induces changes in the profile of the kink associated to the third field.

Influence of ion-to-electron temperature ratio on tearing instability and resulting subion-scale turbulence in a low- β e collisionless plasma

A two-field gyrofluid model including ion finite Larmor radius (FLR) corrections, magnetic fluctuations along the ambient field, and electron inertia is used to study two-dimensional reconnection in a low βe collisionless plasma, in a plane perpendicular to the ambient field. Both moderate and large values of the ion-to-electron temperature ratio τ are considered. The linear growth rate of the tearing instability is computed for various values of τ, confirming the convergence to reduced electron magnetohydrodynamics predictions in the large τ limit. Comparisons with analytical estimates in several limit cases are also presented. The nonlinear dynamics leads to a fully developed turbulent regime that appears to be sensitive to the value of the parameter τ. For τ = 100, strong large-scale velocity shears trigger Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, leading to the propagation of the turbulence through the separatrices, together with the formation of eddies of size of the order of the electron skin depth. In the τ = 1 regime, the vortices are significantly smaller and their accurate description requires that electron FLR effects be taken into account.

A new constitutive relation to describe the response of bones

Trabecular bone, a solid that has a heterogeneous porous structure, demonstrates nonlinear stress–strain relationship, even within the small strain region, when subject to stresses. It also exhibits different responses when subject to tension and compression. This study presents the development of an implicit constitutive relation between the stress and the linearized strain specifically tailored for trabecular bone-like materials. The structure of the constitutive relation requires the solution of the balance of linear momentum and the constitutive relations simultaneously, and in view of this, a two-field mixed finite element model capable of solving general boundary value problems governed by a system of coupled equations is proposed. We investigate the effects of nonlinearity and heterogeneity in a dogbone-shaped sample. Our study is able to capture the significant nonlinear characteristics of the response of the trabecular bone undergoing small strains in experiments, in both tension and compression, very well.

ON-GAUSSIANITY AND LOOP CORRECTIONS IN A QUADRATIC TWO-FIELD SLOW-ROLL MODEL OF INFLATION. PART I

I am showing in this paper that it is possible to attain very high, including observable, values for the leve! of non-gaussianity f N L in a particular quadratic two-field slow-roll model of inflation with canonical kinetic terms. This is done by taking care of loop corrections both in the spectrum Pζ and the bispectrum Bζ; of the primordial curvature perturbation ζ. Sizable values for f N L arise even if ζ is generated during inflation. Five issues are considered when constraining the available parameter space: 1. we must ensure that we are in a perturbative regime so that the ζ series expansion, and its truncation, are valid. 2. we must apply the correct condition for the (possible) loop dominance in Bζ and/or Pζ. 3 we must satisfy the spectrum normalisation condition. 4. we must satisfy the spectral tilt constraint. 5. we must have enough inflation to sol ve the horizon problem.

Kinks in cuscuton-like models with two scalar fields

This work deals with the presence of localized structures in relativistic systems described by two real scalar fields in two-dimensional spacetime. We consider the usual two-field model with the inclusion of the cuscuton term, which couples the fields regardless the potential. First we follow the steps of previous work to show that the system supports a first-order framework, allowing us to obtain the energy of solutions without knowing their explicit form. The cuscuton term brings versatility into the first-order equations, which gives rise to interesting modifications in the profiles of topological configurations, such as the smooth control over their slope and the internal structure of the energy density.

Spectrum of kinetic-Alfvén-wave turbulence: intermittency or tearing mediation?

ABSTRACT We investigate the spectral properties of the electromagnetic fluctuations of sub-ion scale turbulence in weakly collisional, low-beta plasmas using a two-field isothermal gyrofluid model. The numerical results strongly support a description of the turbulence as a critically balanced Kolmogorov-like cascade of kinetic Alfvén wave fluctuations, as amended by previous studies to include intermittency effects. The measured universal index of the energy spectra from systems with different flux-unfreezing mechanisms excludes the role of tearing mediation in determining the spectra. The fluctuations remain isotropic in the plane perpendicular to the strong background magnetic fields as they cascade to smaller scales, which explains the absence of tearing mediation. The calculation of high-order, multipoint structure functions of magnetic fluctuations suggests that the intermittent structures have a quasi-2D, sheet-type morphology. These results are useful for explaining recent observations of the spectrum and structure of magnetic and density fluctuations in the solar wind at sub-proton scales, and are relevant for modelling the energy dissipation in a broad range of astrophysical systems.

Asymmetry engendered by symmetric kink–antikink scattering in a degenerate two-field model

In this paper, we analyze the scattering process in a two-field model in [Formula: see text] dimensions, with the special property to have several topological solutions: (i) one with higher rest mass, characterized by a nested defect (lump inside a kink) and (ii) four others having lower rest mass, degenerated, and characterized by a kink inside kink. We investigate kink–antikink symmetric scattering, where the kink and antikink have higher rest mass and the same initial velocity modulus [Formula: see text]. The output of scattering presents a wide range of behaviors, such as annihilation of the kink–antikink pair, the emission of radiation jets, the generation of oscillating pulses and the change of the topological sector. We show that the changing of the topological sector is favored, and only two of the four sectors are possible as outcomes. Moreover, despite the degeneracy in energy, the distribution of the final states is asymmetric in the phase space, being an effect of the presence of vibrational states.

Dynamical consistency conditions for rapid turn inflation

We derive consistency conditions for sustained slow roll and rapid turn inflation in two-field cosmological models with oriented scalar field space, which imply that inflationary models with field-space trajectories of this type are non-generic. In particular, we show that third order adiabatic slow roll, together with large and slowly varying turn rate, requires the scalar potential of the model to satisfy a certain nonlinear second order PDE, whose coefficients depend on the scalar field metric. We also derive consistency conditions for slow roll inflationary solutions in the so called “rapid turn attractor” approximation, as well as study the consistency conditions for circular rapid turn trajectories with slow roll in two-field models with rotationally invariant field space metric. Finally, we argue that the rapid turn regime tends to have a natural exit after a limited number of e-folds.

Sudden braking and turning with a two-field potential bump: primordial black hole formation

We investigate the amplification of curvature perturbations in a two-field inflation model featuring a Gaussian potential bump. When the inflaton encounters a potential bump along the inflationary trajectory, its rolling speed is generally reduced, potentially causing a violation of the slow-roll condition. Consequently, the original decaying modes of comoving curvature perturbations during the slow-roll phase start growing, and lead to enhanced small-scale density perturbations which can produce amounts of primordial black holes (PBHs) and associated scalar-induced gravitational waves. In addition, inflaton also undergoes sudden turnings at the encounter of the Gaussian potential bump, which is insignificant to the overall curvature power spectrum due to the short duration of these turns. Our paper offers a simple example of the extension of a bump-like potential for PBH formation in a single-field inflation to a two-field case, which helps alleviate the fine-tuning of initial conditions to some extent.

Inflation and Primordial Black Holes

We review conceptual aspects of inflationary scenarios able to produce primordial black holes by amplifying the size of curvature fluctuations to the level required to trigger black hole formation. We identify general mechanisms to do so, both for single- and multiple-field inflation. In single-field inflation, the spectrum of curvature fluctuations is enhanced by pronounced gradients of background quantities controlling the cosmological dynamics, which can induce brief phases of non-slow-roll inflationary evolution. In multiple-field inflation, the amplification occurs through appropriate couplings with additional sectors characterized by tachyonic instabilities that enhance the size of their fluctuations. As representative examples, we consider axion inflation and two-field models of inflation with rapid turns in field space. We develop our discussion in a pedagogical manner by including some of the most relevant calculations and by guiding the reader through the existing theoretical literature, emphasizing general themes common to several models.

A two-field dark energy model with cubic contractions of the Riemann tensor

The paper proposes a novel cosmological model based on a two-field scenario, where the two fields are independently coupled with a specific invariant, based on cubic contractions of the Riemann tensor. After obtaining the modified Friedmann equations and the specific Klein–Gordon relations, the investigation studies the corresponding physical features by adopting the linear stability theory in a quintom scenario case where the coupling functions and potential energies have an exponential behavior. The corresponding investigation revealed a high complexity of the phase space structure, with various stationary points which can explain different aspects in the evolution of our Universe, the matter dominated epoch, and the late time accelerated stage. The present model can represent a viable solution to the dark energy problem due to the high complexity of the phase space and the existence of the scaling solutions.

Two-Field Model of Gravitational-Scalar Instability and Formation of Supermassive Black Holes in the Early Universe

Based on the previously formulated mathematical model of a statistical system with scalar interaction of fermions and the theory of gravitational-scalar instability of a cosmological model based on a two-component statistical system of scalarly charged degenerate fermions, a numerical model of the cosmological evolution of gravitational-scalar perturbations in the presence of classical and phantom scalar fields is constructed and studied. The gravitational-scalar instability at early stages of expansion arises in the model under study at sufficiently large scalar charges, and the instability develops near unstable points of the vacuum doublet. Short-wave perturbations of the free phantom field turn out to be stable at stable singular points of the vacuum doublet. It is shown that for sufficiently large scalar charges, mass perturbations can grow to the values of masses black hole seeds (BHS).