Nonlocal Inflation
Abstract
We consider the possibility of realizing inflation in nonlocal field theories containing infinitely many derivatives. Such constructions arise naturally in string field theory and also in a number of toy models, such as the p-adic string. After reviewing the complications (ghosts and instabilities) that arise when working with high derivative theories we discuss the initial value problem and perturbative stability of theories with infinitely many derivatives. Next, we examine the inflationary dynamics and phenomenology of such theories. Nonlocal inflation can proceed even when the potential is naively too steep and generically predicts large nongaussianity in the Cosmic Microwave Background.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.0811.0814,
title = {Nonlocal Inflation},
author = {Neil Barnaby},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0811.0814},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
6 pages, no figures. Conference proceedings for Theory Canada 4. Accepted for publication in the Canadian Journal of Physics