Gravitational particle production: a mathematical treatment.

In this paper, particle creation in curved space is studied from a mathematical perspective. In particular, particle production is calculated at a given time using the so-called instantaneous diagonalization method. As an application, we study particle production in a non-oscillating model where re-heating may be explained from the point of view of gravitational particle creation. To conclude the paper, we re-calculate, with all mathematical detail, particle production in the Starobinsky model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]