Higgs xi-inflation for the 125-126 GeV Higgs: a two-loop analysis
Abstract
A non-minimal coupling xi of the Standard Model Higgs field to gravity can give rise to inflation, but large xi is required and thus leads to a violation of perturbative unitarity at Mp/xi, which is well below the inflationary scale Mp/sqrt(xi). We re-examine this claim for a Higgs mass in the range 125-126 GeV for which lambda_eff(mu) runs to very small values near the Planck scale and can significantly reduce the value of xi required for inflation. Using the two-loop renormalization group equations and effective potential for Higgs xi-inflation, we find that familiar inflationary solutions can have a non-minimal coupling as small as xi ~ 400 without the potential developing a second minimum. We also find a new observationally allowed region of Higgs xi-inflation with xi ~ 90 and distinct inflationary predictions, including an observable level of the tensor-to-scalar ratio r.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1306.6931,
title = {Higgs xi-inflation for the 125-126 GeV Higgs: a two-loop analysis},
author = {Kyle Allison},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1306.6931},
year = {2014}
}
Comments
25 pages, 4 figures. v2: Discussion clarified and references added. Suppressed Goldstone boson masses for prescription I and two-loop beta function for xi now used. Results modified slightly. v3: Matches published version