English

$\phi^4$ inflation is not excluded

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 2009-09-15 v3 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

We present counter examples to the claim that the λϕ4\lambda \phi^4 inflaton potential is excluded by recent cosmological data. Finding counter examples requires that the actually observed primordial fluctuations are generated at the onset of the slow-roll regime of inflation. This set up for the initial conditions is therefore different from the usual scenario of chaotic inflation where inflation starts long before the observed fluctuations are created. The primordial power spectrum of "just enough" chaotic inflation violates scale-invariance in a way consistent with observations.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0903.3543,
  title  = {$\phi^4$ inflation is not excluded},
  author = {Erandy Ramirez and Dominik J. Schwarz},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0903.3543},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

Extended motivation, matches published version in Phys. Rev. D

R2 v1 2026-06-21T12:42:45.279Z