Evolution of quantum field, particle content, and classicality in the three stage universe

Abstract

We study the evolution of a quantum scalar field in a toy universe which has three stages of evolution, viz., (i) an early (inflationary) de Sitter phase (ii) radiation-dominated phase and (iii) late-time (cosmological constant dominated) de Sitter phase. Using the Schrödinger picture, the scalar field equations are solved separately for the three stages and matched at the transition points. The boundary conditions are chosen so that field modes in the early de Sitter evolves from the Bunch-Davies vacuum state. We determine the (time-dependent) particle content of this quantum state for the entire evolution of the universe and describe the various features both numerically and analytically. We also describe the quantum to classical transition in terms of a classicality parameter which tracks the particle creation and its effect on phase space correlation of the quantum field.