paper

Thermalisation after inflation

arXiv:hep-ph/0009078 · doi:10.1088/1126-6708/2000/11/012

Abstract

During (re)heating of the universe after inflation, the relativistic decay products of the inflaton field must lose energy and additional particles must be produced to attain a thermalised state at a temperature $T_{\reh}$. We estimate the rate of energy loss via elastic and inelastic scattering interactions. Elastic scattering is an inefficient energy loss mechanism so inelastic processes, although higher order in the coupling , can be faster because more energy is transfered. The timescale to produce a particle number density of ${\cal O}(T_{\reh}^3)$ is the inelastic energy loss timescale, $\sim(α^3 n_ϕ/T_{\reh}^2)^{-1}$.

minor changes: another reference, additional sentences in introduction. Version accepted by journal

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