A scalar-tensor cosmological model with dynamical light velocity

The dynamical consequences of a bimetric scalar-tensor theory of gravity with a dynamical light speed are investigated in a cosmological setting. The model consists of a minimally-coupled self-gravitating scalar field coupled to ordinary matter fields in the standard way through the metric: g(mu nu) + B partial derivative (mu)phi partial derivative (nu)phi. We show that in a universe with matter that has a radiation-dominated equation of state, the model allows solutions with a de Sitter phase that provides sufficient inflation to solve the horizon and flatness problems, This behaviour is achieved without the addition of a potential for the scalar field, and is shown to be largely independent of its introduction. We therefore have a model that is fundamentally different than the potential-dominated, slowly rolling scalar held of the standard models inflationary cosmology. The speed of gravitational wave propagation is predicted to be significantly different from the speed of matter waves and photon propagation in the early universe. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.