Theory Group Seminar, 23 February 2010
Mustafa Amin, MIT
Lumps and bumps in the early universe
abstract
The fragmentation of the inflaton at the end of inflation can lead to a very inhomogeneous universe on subhorizon scales. I will discuss two phenomenon resulting from the fragmentation of the inflaton: (1) Production of gravitational waves. (2) Formation of long-lived, localized lumps of scalar field(s) (oscillons).