Related papers: Planck-Suppressed Operators
Bouncing models of cosmology, as they arise e.g. in loop quantum cosmology, can be followed by an inflationary phase and generate close-to-scale-invariant fluctuation spectra as observed in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). However,…
We examine observational constraints on single-field inflation in which the inflaton is a composite field stemming from a four-dimensional strongly interacting field theory. We confront the predictions with the Planck and very recent BICEP2…
We study interactions of electro-magnetic fields with the curvature tensor of the form $\lambda R_{\mu \nu \alpha \beta}F^{\mu \nu}F^{\alpha \beta}$. Such coupling terms though are invariant under general coordinate transformation and CPT,…
We point out that the prediction of the minimal chaotic inflation model is altered if a scalar field takes a large field value close to the Planck scale during inflation due to a negative Hubble induced mass. In particular, we show that the…
We consider a two component hybrid inflation model, in which two fields drive inflation. Our results show that this model generates an observable non-gaussian contribution to the curvature spectrum, within the limits allowed by the recent…
Primordial non-Gaussianity encodes valuable information about the physics of inflation, including the spectrum of particles and interactions. Significant improvements in our understanding of non-Gaussanity beyond Planck require information…
We revisit the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) constraints on the spatial curvature of the Universe, assessing how they change when the curvature parameter and the primordial inflationary scalar spectrum are treated consistently within…
We consider the possibility that the inflaton is part of the dark sector and interacts with the standard model through a portal interaction with a heavy complex scalar field in equilibrium with the standard model at high energies. The…
Massive fields during inflation provide an interesting opportunity to test new physics at very high energy scales. Meanwhile in fundamental realizations, the inflationary field space typically has a curved geometry, which may leave…
We explore the generation of large-scale magnetic fields in the so-called moduli inflation. The hypercharge electromagnetic fields couple to not only a scalar field but also a pseudoscalar one, so that the conformal invariance of the…
Primordial non-Gaussianities from multi-field inflation are a leading target for cosmological observations, because of the possible large correlations generated between long and short distances. These signatures are captured by the local…
In writing a covariant effective action for single field inflation, one is allowed to add a Gauss-Bonnet and axion-type curvature couplings. These couplings represent modifications of gravity, and are the unique higher-curvature terms that…
We investigate observational constraints on a specific one-parameter extension to the minimal quintessence model, where the quintessence field acquires a quadratic coupling to the scalar curvature through a coupling constant $\xi$. The…
This article examines how breaking a Lorentz-invariant description of nature at tiny space-time intervals would affect the non-Gaussian character of the pattern of primordial perturbations left by inflation. We specifically study a set of…
Many controlled realizations of chaotic inflation employ pseudo-scalar axions. Pseudo-scalars \phi are naturally coupled to gauge fields through c \phi F \tilde{F}. In the presence of this coupling, gauge field quanta are copiously produced…
Classical scale invariance represents a promising framework for model building beyond the Standard Model. However, once coupled to gravity, any scale-invariant microscopic model requires an explanation for the origin of the Planck mass. In…
We study a particular Galileon inflation in the light of Planck2015 observational data in order to constraint the model parameter space. We study the spectrum of the primordial modes of the density perturbations by expanding the action up…
By assuming the field seeding the curvature perturbations $ \zeta $ is a dynamically arising condensate, we are able to derive the relation $ f_{NL} ^2 \simeq 10^8 H / M_c $ between the non-Gaussianity parameter $ f_{NL} $ and the ratio of…
Using the \delta N formalism we consider the non-linear curvature perturbation in multi-field models of inflation with non-minimal coupling. In particular, we focus on the relation between the \delta N formalism as applied in the…
Within the framework of RG improved inflationary cosmology motivated by asymptotically safe gravity, we study the dynamics of a scalar field which can be interpreted as the Higgs field. The background trajectories of this model can provide…