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Scalar fields and cosmological attractor solutions

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Abstract

Results of a general study on the dynamics of cosmological scalar fields with arbitrary potentials are presented. Exact and approximate attractor solutions are found, with applications to quintessence, moduli stabilization and inflation.

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The presence of a dynamical scalar field in the early universe could significantly affect the ‘freeze-out’ time of particle species. In particular, it was recently shown that an enhancement of the relic abundance of neutralinos can be produced in this way. We examine under which conditions this primordial scalar field could be identified with the Quintessence scalar and find, through concrete examples, that modifications to the standard paradigm are necessary. We discuss two possible cases: the presence of more scalars and the switching on of an interaction.
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We develop a framework to study the phase space of a system consisting of a scalar field rolling down an arbitrary potential with varying slope and a background fluid, in a cosmological setting. We give analytical approximate solutions of the field evolution and discuss applications of its features to the issues of quintessence, moduli stabilisation and quintessential inflation.
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