Preheating with Gauge Fields and Non-linear Gravity

Big Bang cosmology is a consequence of Einstein's equations and the cosmological principle---and is consistent with many of our observations. However, standard Big Bang cosmology has some inconsistencies with the Universe we observe today, which are solved by a period of inflation. At the same time, the end of inflation is messy, with no unique mathematical model to get to the Universe we observe today. A better understanding of reheating can help us to better understand the particle physics present at those high energies. Here, I'll discuss preheating with multiple gauge fields as a possible model of reheating and the characteristics of such a model, why the effects of local gravity might be important, and how we will have to deal with those effects.