Related papers: Primordial features due to a step in the inflaton …
We assay how inflationary models whose properties are dominated by the dynamics of a single scalar field are constrained by cosmic microwave background (CMB) data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). We classify…
The inflationary 1-loop tensor power spectrum from an excited spectator scalar field is calculated. Recent studies on primordial black holes suggest that the inflationary curvature perturbation may be huge on small scales. An enhanced…
Scalar perturbations during inflation can be substantially amplified by tiny features in the inflaton potential. A bump-like feature behaves like a local speed-breaker and lowers the speed of the scalar field, thereby locally enhancing the…
We revisit the problem of constraining steps in the inflationary potential with cosmological data. We argue that a step in the inflationary potential produces qualitatively similar oscillations in the primordial power spectrum,…
Pre-inflationary dynamics is known to have left observable imprints via the varied dynamics of the inflaton and the graviton fields during those epochs. It is highlighted here that other particle degrees of freedom, too, are capable of…
We study cuscuton inflation for the models where the potential of the cuscuton takes quadratic and exponential forms. We find that for the quadratic potential, a scalar spectral index $n_s$ is not affected by cuscuton at the leading order…
We describe a general scenario where primordial non-Gaussian curvature perturbations are generated in models with extra scalar fields. The extra scalars communicate to the inflaton sector mainly through the tachyonic (waterfall) field…
I discuss folded inflation, an inflationary model embedded in a multi-dimensional scalar potential, such as the stringy landscape. During folded inflation, the field point evolves along a path that turns several corners in the potential.…
The space of parameters characterizing an inflationary primordial power spectrum with small superimposed oscillations is explored using Monte Carlo methods. The most interesting region corresponding to high frequency oscillations is…
We update the constraints on the power spectra of primordial curvature perturbation and tensor perturbation including Planck data 2015 (P15) and recently released BICEP2/Keck data (BK15), Baryon Acoustic Oscillation data and the Type Ia…
A model is developed in which the inflaton potential experiences a sudden small change in its second derivative (the effective mass of the inflaton). An exact treatment demonstrates that the resulting density perturbation has a quasi-flat…
In this work we explore the possibility of variations in the primordial scalar power spectrum around the power-law shape, as predicted by single-field slow-roll inflationary scenarios. We search for the trace of these fluctuations in a…
An inflationary gravitational wave background consistent with BICEP2 is difficult to reconcile with a simple power-law spectrum of primordial scalar perturbations. Tensor modes contribute to the temperature anisotropies at multipoles with…
We present a Bayesian analysis of large-scale structure and cosmic microwave background data to constrain the form of the primordial power spectrum. We have extended the usual presumption of a scale invariant spectrum to include: (i) a…
Enhancements of primordial curvature fluctuations in single field inflation often involve departures from attractor trajectories in the phase space. We study enhancement/suppression of primordial fluctuations in one of the simplest models…
In this paper we will discuss the range of large tensor to scalar ratio, $r$, obtainable from a sub-Planckian excursion of a {\it single}, {\it slow roll} driven inflaton field. In order to obtain a large $r$ for such a scenario one has to…
Probing the primordial power spectrum at small scales is crucial for discerning inflationary models, especially if BICEP2 results are confirmed. We demonstrate this necessity by briefly reviewing single small field models that give a…
We investigate a standard minimally-coupled scalar-field inflationary scenario, which is based on a new potential, with suitably generalized plateau features, that leads to extra small tensor-to-scalar ratios. In particular, we consider a…
A model of the Universe as a mixture of a scalar (inflaton or rolling tachyon from the string theory) and a matter field (classical particles) is analyzed. The particles are created at the expense of the gravitational energy through an…
Extensions of the Standard Model typically contain ``flaton fields" defined as fields with large vacuum expectation values and almost flat potentials where scalar self-coupling is small or vanishes at tree level. Such potentials have been…