Particle Creation in Isotropic Cosmologies

Abstract

The simplest covariant generalization of the scalar wave equation leads to significant pion creation and annihilation processes near an isotropic Friedmann-type singularity (such processes are negligible for particles of nonzero spin). Estimates for a plausible initial state yield pion creation of the same order of magnitude as obtained by Zeldovich near an anisotropic Kasner-type singularity.