Related papers: Disentangling the $f(R)$ - Duality
We show that in the simplest theories of spontaneous symmetry breaking one can have a stage of a fast-roll inflation. In this regime the standard slow-roll condition |m^2| << H^2 is violated. Nevertheless, this stage can be rather long if…
Erickcek, Kamionkowski and Carroll proposed in 2008 that the dipole modulation of the CMB could be due to a very large scale perturbation of the field $\phi$ causing the primordial curvature perturbation. We repeat their calculation using…
In warm inflation models there is the requirement of generating large dissipative couplings of the inflaton with radiation, while at the same time, not de-stabilising the flatness of the inflaton potential due to radiative corrections. One…
We show that upon applying Palatini $f(R)$, characterized by an $\a R^2$-term, within a scenario motivated by a temporal variation of strong coupling constant, then one gets a quadratic kinetic energy. We do not drop this term, but rather…
We study single-field slow-roll inflation embedded in Palatini $F(R)$ gravity where $F(R)$ grows faster than $R^2$. Surprisingly, the consistency of the theory requires the Jordan frame inflaton potential to be unbounded from below. Even…
A new family of inflation models is introduced and studied. The models are characterised by a scalar potential which, far from the origin, approximates an inflationary plateau, while near the origin becomes monomial, as in chaotic…
We study a single fluid component in a flat like universe (FLU) governed by $f(T)$ gravity theories, where $T$ is the teleparallel torsion scalar. The FLU model, regardless the value of the spatial curvature $k$, identifies a special class…
The early time expansion of the space-time, namely inflation, is introduced to solve some cosmological problems. $F(R)$ gravity is a simple extension of the general relativity to induce the inflationary expansion. The precise observation of…
This Ph.D. thesis investigates effective field and string theories in which supersymmetry is realized and broken in various ways. Chapter 1 addresses effective theories with nonlinearly realized supersymmetry, constructed using the…
We investigate what can be said about the interaction of scalar fields with Abelian gauge fields during a quasi-de Sitter phase of expansion and under the assumption that the electric and the magnetic susceptibilities do not coincide. The…
Old-minimal $R+R^2$ supergravity has a $U(1)$ R-symmetry which rotates the chiral curvature superfield. We gauge this R-symmetry and study new interactions involving the gauge multiplet in the context of inflation and supersymmetry…
We build an effective field theory of multi-field inflationary fluctuations based on the adiabatic perturbation and on any number of matter fluctuations in the non-adiabatic sector, without imposing extra symmetries on the latter. Focusing…
We consider a supersymmetric hybrid inflation in the framework of the Randall-Sundrum type II Braneworld model. We drive an analytical expression for the scalar potential and find that the F-term dominates hybrid inflation process. We show…
Using the dS/QFT correspondence in the context of inflation allows for the study of interesting, otherwise inaccessible physics. In particular, by studying inflation via its dual field theory at the boundary of the de Sitter space, it may…
To first order in the deviation from scale invariance the inflationary potential and its first two derivatives can be expressed in terms of the spectral indices of the scalar and tensor perturbations, $n$ and $n_T$, and their contributions…
Non-abelian discrete gauge symmetries can provide the inflaton with a flat potential even when one takes into account gravitational strength effects. The discreteness of the symmetries also provide special field values where inflation can…
Modular invariance is a striking symmetry in string theory, which may keep stringy corrections under control. In this paper, we investigate a phenomenological consequence of the modular invariance, assuming that this symmetry is preserved…
The leading order dynamics of the type IIB Large Volume Scenario is characterised by the interplay between $\alpha'$ and non-perturbative effects which fix the overall volume and all local blow-up modes leaving (in general) several flat…
We here explore a specific class of scalar field, dubbed quasi-quintessence which exhibits characteristics akin to ordinary matter. Specifically, we investigate under which conditions this fluid can mitigate the classical cosmological…
Comparisons of cosmological models to current data show that the presence of a non-trivial feature in the primordial power spectrum of fluctuations, around the scale k=0.05 h/Mpc, is an open and exciting possibility, testable in a near…