Nelson J. Nunes
DAMTP, University of Cambridge

Abstract
We will be looking at the cosmological effects of small scale corrections that arise in Loop Quantum Cosmology (LQC). In particular, we will see how the Friedmann equation is modified under inverse volume and quadratic corrections. We will see that a positively curved universe can undergo a period of several expanding and contracting phases during which a scalar field is displaced in its potential and consequently establishing the initial conditions for standard slow-roll inflation.
We will also compute the power spectrum of the perturbed scalar field generated during the super-inflationary phases of the universe and show that it can be scale invariant and that the horizon problem is solved with only a few e-folds of super-inflationary expansion.
The talk is purely phenomenological and knowledge of LQC is not necessary.

2008 February 13, 13:30

IA/U.Porto
Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto (Auditorium)
Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto