Related papers: Pre - Inflationary Clues from String Theory ?
We present a general set-up for inflation in string theory where the inflaton field corresponds to Wilson lines in compact space in the presence of magnetic fluxes. T-dualities and limits on the value of the magnetic fluxes relate this…
String theory avoids the ultraviolet infinities that arise in trying to quantize gravity. It is also more predictive than conventional quantum field theory, one aspect of this being the way that it contributed to the emergence of the…
We study supersymmetry breaking by Scherk-Schwarz compactifications in type I string theory. While in the gravitational sector all mass splittings are proportional to a (large) compactification radius, supersymmetry remains unbroken for the…
We present a superstring-inspired version of D-term inflation which does not lead to cosmic string formation and appears to satisfy the current CMB constraints. It differs from minimal D-term inflation by a second pair of charged…
The generic embedding of the $R+R^2$ higher curvature theory into old-minimal supergravity leads to models with rich vacuum structure in addition to its well-known inflationary properties. When the model enjoys an exact R-symmetry, there is…
We conjecture a geometric criterion for determining whether supersymmetry is spontaneously broken in certain string backgrounds. These backgrounds contain wrapped branes at Calabi-Yau singularites with obstructions to deformation of the…
We consider cosmological solutions in 5d locally supersymmetric theories including boundary actions, with either opposite tension branes for identical brane chiralities or equal tension branes for flipped brane chiralities. We analyse the…
We construct a string-inspired nonsingular cosmological scenario in which an inflaton field is driven up the potential before the graceful exit by employing a low-energy string effective action with an orbifold compactification. This sets…
Cosmic superstrings are expected to be formed at the end of brane inflation, within the context of brane-world cosmological models inspired from string theory. By studying properties of cosmic suprestring networks, and comparing their…
String Theory and Supergravity allow, in principle, to follow the transition of the inflaton from pre-inflationary fast roll to slow roll. This introduces an infrared depression in the primordial power spectrum that might have left an…
We investigate interactions between branes of various dimensions, both charged and uncharged, in three non-supersymmetric string models. These include the $USp(32)$ and $U(32)$ orientifold projections of the type IIB and type $0$B strings,…
We study an effective four-dimensional theory with an action with two scalar fields minimally coupled to gravity, and with a matter action which couples to the two scalar fields via an overall field-dependent coefficient in the action. Such…
Dirac-Born-Infeld scalar field theories which appear in the context of inflation in string theory in general have a field dependent speed of sound. It is however possible to write down DBI models which possess exact solutions characterized…
In String theory realizations of inflation, the end point of inflation is often brane-anti brane annihilation. We consider the processes of reheating of the Standard Model universe after brane inflation. We identify the channels of inflaton…
We discuss a supersymmetric version of DBI (Dirac-Born-Infeld) inflation, which is a typical inflation model in string cosmology. The supersymmetric DBI action together with a superpotential always leads to correction terms associated with…
We show that the use of higher dimensional wrapped branes can significantly extend the inflaton field range compared to brane inflation models which use D3-branes. We construct a simple inflationary model in terms of 5-branes wrapping a…
We study inflation and reheating in models for the brane universe, considering hybrid brane inflation without tachyon condensation. We expect that some fields that are localized on different branes interact with O(1) coupling when branes…
We reconsider the old problem of the dynamics of spontaneous symmetry breaking using 3d lattice simulations, and develop a theory of tachyonic preheating, which occurs due to the spinodal instability of the scalar field. Tachyonic…
Considerable and ongoing effort is made to identify promising scalar field candidates in string theory to drive a cosmological period of inflation. At stake is the possibility that fundamental string parameters could be encoded in…
We analyze the quantum-corrected moduli space of D7-brane position moduli with special emphasis on inflationary model building. D7-brane deformation moduli are key players in two recently proposed inflationary scenarios: The first, D7-brane…