Nonlinear Dynamics of Preheating after Multifield Inflation with Nonminimal Couplings

Abstract: We study the post-inflation dynamics of multifield models involving nonminimal couplings using lattice simulations to capture significant nonlinear effects like backreaction and rescattering. We measure the effective equation of state and typical time-scales for the onset of thermalization, which could affect the usual mapping between predictions for primordial perturbation spectra and measurements of anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background radiation. For large values of the nonminimal coupling constants, we find efficient particle production that gives rise to nearly instantaneous preheating. Moreover, the strong single-field attractor behavior that was previously identified persists until the end of preheating, thereby suppressing typical signatures of multifield models. We therefore find that predictions for primordial observables in this class of models retain a close match to the latest observations.