Inflation as a Relaxation Mechanism from Scalar-tensor Gravity Theories to General Relativity

Jos\'e P. Mimoso1and Ana M. Nunes2

1 Departamento de F\'{i}sica da F.C.L.\\ Universidde de Lisboa C.F.N.U.L.-- Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 2\\ 1699 Lisboa, Portugal
2 Departamento de F\'{i}sica da F.C.L.\\ Universidade de Lisboa \\ C.M.A.F..-- Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 2\\ 1699 Lisboa, Portugal


Scalar-tensor theories provide the simplest model-independent description of unification theories, e.g. strings, which forecast couplings between scalars and curvature. In this work we investigate the conditions under which general scalar-tensor gravity theories relax towards General Relativity. We extend the work of Damour and Nordtvedt (Phys. Rev. D {\bf 48}, 3436 (1993)) by studying the effects of the inclusion of a cosmological potential term. When the universe is both radiation dominated or vacuum, we find that Einstein's gravity is indeed a cosmological attractor provided that the universe exhibits inflationary expansion. This latter feature provides another striking argument in favour of the inflationary paradigm, and we show that it arises without intervention of the usual inflaton field.


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