Second-order energy-momentum tensor of a scalar field

Abstract

We investigate the second-order effective energy-momentum tensor (2EMT) constructed by the quadratic terms of the linear scalar cosmological perturbations while the universe is dominated by a scalar field. We show that 2EMT is gauge dependent. We then study 2EMT in three (longitudinal, spatially flat, and comoving) gauge conditions in the slow-roll stage of inflation. We find that 2EMT exhibits an effective fluid of w 1/4 -1=3 on superhorizon scales in all of those gauge conditions.