Quintessential inflation and nonlinear effects of the tachyonic trap mechanism

With the help of the tachyonic trapping mechanism one can potentially solve a number of problems affecting quintessential inflation models. In this mechanism we introduce a trapping field with a spontaneous symmetry breaking potential. When the quintessential inflaton passes the critical point, a sudden burst of particle production is able to reheat the Universe and trap the inflaton away from the minimum of its potential. However, self-interactions of the trapping field suppress particle production and reduce the efficiency of this process. We develop a method to compute the magnitude of the suppression and explore the parameter space in which the mechanism can be applied effectively.

Automated summary

With the help of the tachyonic trapping mechanism, various issues related to quintessential inflation models can potentially be solved. This mechanism involves introducing a trapping field with a spontaneously broken symmetry potential. When the quintessential inflaton reaches the critical point, a burst of particle production occurs, reheating the Universe and trapping the inflaton away from the minimum of its potential. However, the self-interactions of the trapping field suppress particle production and decrease the efficiency of this process. A method for computing the magnitude of this suppression is developed, and the parameter space where the mechanism can be effectively applied is explored.