Particle creation in flat Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW) universe in the framework of f(T) gravity

Abstract

We study particle production in a flat Friedmann–Robertson–Walker universe in the framework of f(T) gravity. An exact power-law solution is obtained by solving the Friedmann equations and assuming that matter is minimally coupled with gravitation. The torsion scalar, T, appears to plays the same role as the curvature (Ricci scalar) in general relativity (GR) and its modified theories, f(R). Particularly, in the phantom phase, we observe that the vacuum state corresponds to a vanishing torsion scalar and particle production becomes important as the torsion scalar diverges. This aspect not only provides the equivalence between teleparallel gravity and GR, but also between their respective modified versions, f(T) and f(R), in the view of massless particle production phenomenon when matter is minimally coupled with gravity. However, when the gravitational and scalar fields are not minimally coupled, it appears that this similarity between the teleparallel gravity and GR may break down, because the torsion scalar no longer has the same time-dependent expression as the Ricci scalar.