One of the exciting aspects of cosmology is to understand the period of `cosmic inflation' that powered the epoch of the Big Bang. Inflation has been very successful in explaining several puzzles of the standard big bang scenario. But the most important success of inflation is that it can explain the temperature fluctuations of cosmic microwave background and the large scale structures of the universe. Despite its great success, the details of the physics of inflation are still unknown. A large number of models of inflation successfully explain all the observations making it remarkably hard to distinguish between different models. We explore the possibility of differentiating between different inflationary models by studying two-point and three-point functions of primordial fluctuations produced during inflation. First, we explore possible constraints on the inflationary equation state by considering current measurements of the power spectrum. Next, we explore the possibility of a single field slow-roll inflationary model with general initial state for primordial fluctuations. The two-point and three-point functions of primordial fluctuations are generally computed assuming that the fluctuations are initially in the Bunch-Davies state. However, we show that the constraints on the initial state from observed power spectrum and local bispectrum are relatively weak and for slow-roll inflation a large number of initial states are consistent with the current observations. As the precision of the observations is increasing significantly, we may learn more about the initial state of the fluctuations in the near future. Finally, we explore the consistency relations for the three-point functions, in the squeezed limit, of scalar and tensor perturbations in single-field inflation that in principle can be used to differentiate between single-field and multi-field inflation models. However, for slow-roll inflation, we find that it is possible to violate some of the consistency relations for initial states that are related to the Bunch-Davies state by Bogoliubov transformations and we identify the reason for the violation. Then we discuss the observational implications of this violation. / text

We study different aspects of perturbatively renormalized quantum gauge theories in the presence of non-trivial background Lorentzian metrics and background connections. First, we show that the proof of nilpotency of the renormalized interacting BRST charge can be reduced to the cohomological analysis of the classical BRST differential. This result guarantees the self-consistency of a class of local, renormalizable field theories with vanishing 'gauge anomaly'' at the quantum level, such as the pure Yang-Mills theory in four dimensions. Self-consistency here means that the algebra of gauge invariant observables can be constructed as the cohomology of this charge. Second, we give a proof of background independence of the Yang-Mills theory. We define background independent observables in a geometrical formulation as flat sections of a cohomology algebra bundle over the manifold of background configurations, with respect to a flat connection which implements background variations. We observe that background independence at the quantum level is potentially violated. We, however, show that the potential obstructions can be removed by a finite renormalization. Third, we construct the advanced/retarded Green's functions and Hadamard parametrices for linearized Yang-Mills and Einstein equations in general linear covariant gauges. They play an essential role in formulating gauge theories in curved spacetimes. Finally, we study a superconformal gauge theory in three dimensions (the ABJM theory) which is conformally coupled to a curved background. The superconformal symmetry of this theory is described by a conformal symmetry superalgebra on manifolds which admit twistor spinors. By analyzing the relevant cohomology class of an appropriate BV-BRST differential, we show that the full superalgebra is realized at the quantum level.

Po zhrnutí potrebných teoretických základov a predošlého výskumu v ob- lasti, prezentujeme semi-klasickú kvantovaciu schému pre uzavretú Nambuovu- Gotovu strunu. Týmto zovšeobecňujeme predošlú prácu, ktorá bola vykonaná pre otvorenú strunu a uzavretú strunu kruhového tvaru. Pomocou metód kvan- tovej teórie po©a v zakrivených priestoročasoch počítame strednú hodnotu vo©- ného Hamiltoniánu struny rotujúcej v dvoch na seba kolmých priestorových rovinách v priestoročase všeobecnej dimenzie. Táto hodnota je priamo úmerná kvantovej korekcii k celkovej energii struny, ktorá má formu tzv. Reggeovho interceptu. Výslednú hodnotu Reggeovho interceptu porovnávame s predošlým výskumom. Taktiež uvádzame porovnanie získaného spektra fyzikálnych stavov struny kvantovanej našou metódou so spektrom odvodeným pomocou kovariant- ného kvantovania. 1

Submitted by Geandra Rodrigues (geandrar@gmail.com) on 2018-05-15T19:23:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tiberiodepaulanetto.pdf: 1926871 bytes, checksum: 17bceffda5c85de37a0d50a14f4f3f04 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-05-22T14:37:09Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 tiberiodepaulanetto.pdf: 1926871 bytes, checksum: 17bceffda5c85de37a0d50a14f4f3f04 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-22T14:37:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tiberiodepaulanetto.pdf: 1926871 bytes, checksum: 17bceffda5c85de37a0d50a14f4f3f04 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-22 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Nesta tese, exploram-se diferentes aspectos e aplicações das teorias gravitacionais com correções quânticas. O texto é dividido em três partes principais. Na primeira parte, são consideradas as soluções linearizadas em diferentes teorias de gravitação com derivadas superiores. O potencial Newtoniano é calculado nos modelos locais, super-renormalizáveis no nível quântico, e mostra-se que a singularidade Newtoniana é cancelada devido a contribuição dos modos massivos extras. Logo depois, o colapso gravitacional de uma pequena massa é estudado na gravitação não-local livre de fantasmas, sendo o principal resultado a ausência da singularidade na solução do campo gravitacional e a possibilidade da não formação do miniburaco negro como resultado do colapso. Na segunda parte, algumas questões sobre a inflação induzida pela anomalia conforme são estudadas. É discutida a possibilidade da transição entre os períodos de inflação estável para instável. É mostrado que esta transição é automática se as correções quânticas nesse período forem desprezadas. Em seguida, considera-se o efeito de termos que violam as simetrias de CPT e Lorentz na inflação induzida pela anomalia conforme. É demonstrado que os novos termos responsáveis por violar essas simetrias não afetam a dinâmica do fator de escala da métrica. Por fim, na terceira parte as correções quânticas para o modelo dos Galileons e para as teorias dos campos massivos tensoriais antissimétricos são obtidas. É mostrado que o propagador da teoria dos Galileons recebe correções quânticas com derivadas superiores e que o teorema de não-renormalização do modelo dos Galileons permanece, de uma maneira generalizada, válido na região das baixas energias. Depois, por meio de cálculos explícitos das correções quânticas semiclássicas não-locais é confirmada a equivalência quântica entre os modelos dos campos tensoriais antissimétricos massivos com a teoria de Proca e com o modelo do campo escalar massivo mínimo. / In this thesis, different aspects and applications of gravitational theories with quan-tum corrections are explored. The text is divided into three main parts. In the first part, the linearized solutions in different gravity theories with higher derivatives are considered. The Newtonian potential is calculated in the local models, super-renormalizable at the quantum level, and it is shown that the Newtonian singularity is cancelled due to the contributions of the extra massive modes. Then the gravitational collapse of a small mass is studied in non-local ghost-free gravity, being the main result the absence of singularity in the gravitational field solution and the possibility of non-mini black hole formation as the collapse result. In the second part, some issues about anomaly-induced inflation are studied. It is discussed the possibility of the transition between stable to unstable periods of inflation. It is shown that this transition is automatic if the quantum corrections in this period are neglected. In the following, we consider the effect of CPT and Lorentz-violating terms in the conformal anomaly-induced inflation. It is shown the new terms responsible to violate these symmetries do not affect the dynamics of the metric scale factor. Finally, in the third part, the quantum corrections for the Galileon model and for the theory of the massive antisymmetric tensor fields are obtained. It is shown that the propaga-tor of Galilean theory receives quantum corrections with higher derivatives and that the non-renormalization theorem for Galileon models remains, in a generalized way, valid in the low-energy region. Then, by means of explicit calculations of non-local semiclassical quantum corrections, the quantum equivalence between the massive antisymmetric tensor field models with the Proca theory and minimal massive scalar field model is confirmed.