Rest frame vacua of massive Klein–Gordon fields on spatially flat FLRW spacetimes

Abstract

AbstractWe propose a method of projecting the quantum states from a state space of a given geometry into another state space generated by a different geometry, taking care of the correct normalization which is crucial in interpreting the quantum theory. Thanks to this method we can define on any spatially flat FLRW spacetime states in which genuine Minkowskian parameters are measured. We use these Minkowskian states for separating the frequencies in the rest frames of the massive scalar particles defining thus the scalar rest frame vacuum. We show that this vacuum is stable on the de Sitter expanding universe where the energy is conserved. In contrast, on a spatially flat FLRW spacetime with a Milne-type scale factor this vacuum is found to be dynamic, corresponding to a time-dependent rest energy interpreted as an effective mass. This dynamic vacuum gives rise to cosmological particle creation which is significant only in the early Milne-type universe considered here. Some interesting features of this new effect are pointed out in a brief analysis.