Can induced gravity isotropize Bianchi type I, V, or IX universes? art. no. 043501.

We analyze if Bianchi type I, V, and IX models in the induced gravity (IG) theory can evolve to a Friedmann-Roberson-Walker (FRW) expansion due to the nonminimal coupling of gravity and the scalar field. The analytical results that we find for the Brans-Dicke (BD) theory are now applied to the IG theory which has omega much less than 1 (omega being the square ratio of the Higgs boson to Planck mass) in a cosmological era in which the IG potential is not significant. We find that the isotropization mechanism crucially depends on the value of omega. Its smallness also permits inflationary solutions. For the Bianchi type V model, inflation due to the Higgs potential takes place afterwards, and subsequently spontaneous symmetry breaking ends with an effective FRW evolution. The ordinary tests of successful cosmology are well satisfied. [S0556-2821(98)06624-7].