Cosmological gravitational particle production of dark matter during inflation and beyond

Date
2024-08-05
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract

Cosmological gravitational particle production (CGPP) is a viable production mechanism for dark matter. Spin-0, spin-1/2, spin-3/2, spin-2 fields can be produced via CGPP during inflation and reheating, and the relics can be dark matter candidates. Chapter 1 of this thesis contains the framework of CGPP, which is based on quantum field theory in curved spacetime and inflationary cosmology. Chapter 2 contains a study of CGPP in the context of alpha-attractor inflationary models. Chapter 3 contains a method for analytically evaluating CGPP of fermions, namely the Exact WKB (EWKB) method, which is based on Stokes phenomenon. Chapter 4 contains a study of CGPP of massive spin-2 fields. Chapter 5 contains a study of phenomenology of ultralight vector dark matter with nonminimal interactions with gravity.

Description
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Type
Thesis
Keywords
cosmology, dark matter, quantum field theory in curved space time, cosmological gravitational particle production, exact WKB method
Citation

Ling, Siyang. Cosmological gravitational particle production of dark matter during inflation and beyond. (2024). PhD diss., Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/117824

Has part(s)
Forms part of
Published Version
Rights
Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
Link to license
Citable link to this page