172 Inflationary cosmology and creation of matter in the universe
Figure 4.2.Evolution of scalar fieldsφandχduring the process of self-reproduction of the
universe. The height of the distribution shows the value of the fieldφwhich drives inflation.
The surface is painted black in those parts of the universe where the scalar fieldχis in the
first minimum of its effective potential, and white where it is in the second minimum. The
laws of low-energy physics are different in the regions of different colour. The peaks of the
‘mountains’ correspond to places where quantum fluctuations bring the scalar fields back
to the Planck density. Each such place in a certain sense can be considered as the beginning
of a new big bang.
4.6 (P)reheating after inflation
The theory of the universe reheating after inflation is the most important
application of the quantum theory of particle creation, since almost all matter
constituting the universe was created during this process.