English

ACT-Era Constraints on Single-Field Inflation in $f(T)$ Teleparallel Gravity

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2026-05-01 v2

Abstract

We reassess single-field slow-roll inflation in teleparallel gravity with f(T)=CT2δ+1f(T)=C\,T^{2\delta+1}, motivated by recent measurements from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) that indicate a modest upward shift in the scalar spectral index nsn_s. Using analytic approximations together with high-precision numerical calculations, we compute primordial predictions for representative potentials: power-law monomials, hilltop models, and EE-type plateaus. We find that torsional corrections controlled by δ\delta generically suppress rr while keeping nsn_s near its slow-roll value. As a result, modest positive δ\delta can restore viability to sub-quadratic monomials and hilltop models that are disfavored in general relativity (GR), whereas EE-type plateaus remain compatible only in a limited range of δ\delta: small δ\delta may improve the fit but moderate δ\delta drives the dynamics toward quadratic-like behaviour and increases rr. These signatures are observationally testable: improved cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-mode measurements will further discriminate among potential classes and place quantitative bounds on torsional deviations from GR.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2508.16530,
  title  = {ACT-Era Constraints on Single-Field Inflation in $f(T)$ Teleparallel Gravity},
  author = {Feng-Yi Zhang and Rongrong Zhai and Li-Yang Chen},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.16530},
  year   = {2026}
}