inflaton

The inflaton field is a hypothetical scalar field that is conjectured to have driven cosmic inflation in the very early universe.

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spin quantum number: 0

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Article

8 sections

Contents

Cosmological inflation
Expanding vacuum state with high potential energy
Transition to true vacuum
Slow roll and reheating
Field quanta
Non-minimally coupled inflation
See also
References

The inflaton field is a hypothetical scalar field that is conjectured to have driven cosmic inflation in the very early universe. The field, originally postulated by Alan Guth, provides a mechanism that can generate a period of rapid expansion from to after the initial expansion, which consequently forms a universe consistent with observed spatial isotropy and homogeneity.

== Cosmological inflation ==