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Some sources introduce the inflaton field as the cause of the inflation period in the big bang theory, and some others relate it to the decay of electronuclear bosons. Which one of these is responsible for the expansion of the universe during inflation period?

https://youtu.be/xJCX2NlhdTc

https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~ejchaisson/cosmic_evolution/docs/text/text_part_5.html

Draku
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"Inflaton" is just a label for a hypothetical particle that is a quanta of whatever quantum field drove inflation. The X boson is another hypothetical particle that is part of some versions of a Grand Unified Theory. So it is possible that inflatons and X bosons are one and the same - or maybe not. At the present time, we just don't know.

gandalf61
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  • But according to the theory, the x bosons decayed at the beginning of the inflation, while inflatons decayed at the end of it and gave birth to the standard model particles. – Draku Dec 10 '20 at 14:57
  • @Draku You are asking about the speculative behaviour of two hypothetical particles in an era when we are not even sure we fully understand the laws of physics, I don't think you should expect to get any definitive answers. – gandalf61 Dec 10 '20 at 15:48
  • I'm basically asking about the exact explanation Alan Guth proposed. I know it's all speculation, but he and his colleagues suggested a precise mechanism behind the inflaton. I even contacted Guth but he hasn't responded yet. I just wanna know whether in his theory, x boson plays a role or not, and if yes, what it is exactly. – Draku Dec 10 '20 at 16:36