Kinetic versus thermal field theory approach to cosmological perturbations

Mar, 1994
41 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.D 50 (1994) 2541-2559
e-Print:
Report number:
  • DESY-94-040,
  • TUW-93-23

Citations per year

199420022010201820240123456
Abstract: (arXiv)
A closed set of equations for the evolution of linear perturbations of homogeneous, isotropic cosmological models can be obtained in various ways. The simplest approach is to assume a macroscopic equation of state, e.g.\ that of a perfect fluid. For a more refined description of the early universe, a microscopic treatment is required. The purpose of this paper is to compare the approach based on classical kinetic theory to the more recent thermal-field-theory approach. It is shown that in the high-temperature limit the latter describes cosmological perturbations supported by collisionless, massless matter, wherein it is equivalent to the kinetic theory approach. The dependence of the perturbations in a system of a collisionless gas and a perfect fluid on the initial data is discussed in some detail. All singular and regular solutions are found analytically.
  • astrophysics: perturbation
  • perturbation: linear
  • invariance: gauge
  • particle: massless
  • massless: particle
  • Einstein equation
  • model: gas
  • model: fluid
  • space-time: de Sitter
  • field theory: finite temperature