One loop corrected conformally coupled scalar mode equations during inflation

Abstract

We employ a fully renormalized computation of the one loop contribution to the self-mass-squared of the conformally coupled (CC) scalar interacting with gravitons during inflation to study how inflationary produced gravitons affect the CC scalar evolution equation. The quantum corrected scalar mode functions turn out to get a secular growth effect, proportional to a logarithm of the scale factor at late times.16 pages, 10 tables, v3: Corrected some errors in numerical factors; conclusions are not changed; submitted the Erratum to PRD