Related papers: Fine Tuning May Not Be Enough
It is shown that the efficiency of the universe heating by an inflaton field depends not only on the possible presence of parametric resonance in the production of scalar particles but also strongly depends on the character of the inflaton…
We consider $R^2$ inflation in the Palatini gravity assuming the existence of scalar fields, coupled to gravity in the most general manner. These theories, in the Einstein frame, and for one scalar field $h$, share common features with $K$…
In this work we investigate a inflationary scenario generated by a large scalar field $\phi$ that non-minimally couples to a $f(R)$ modified gravity model. For a Starobinsky's like model, it is found that along a particular flat direction,…
We investigate preheating in a higher-dimensional generalized Kaluza-Klein theory with a quadratic inflaton potential $V(\phi)=\frac12 m^2\phi^2$ including metric perturbations explicitly. The system we consider is the multi-field model…
Ultraviolet completion of the standard model plus gravity at and beyond the Planck scale is a daunting problem to which no generally accepted solution exists. Principal obstacles include (a) lack of data at the Planck scale (b)…
During hybrid inflation, the slowly-rolling inflaton field has a significant coupling to the trigger field which is responsible for most of the potential. Barring a fine-tuned accidental cancellation, this coupling induces a minimal…
This study examines how inflationary dynamics are affected by $f(R)$ theories with a non-minimal coupling between matter and curvature. Both positive and negative corrections to the minimal coupling of General Relativity are considered, and…
We study inflationary models in which the effective potential of the inflaton field does not have a minimum, but rather gradually decreases at large $\phi$. In such models the inflaton field does not oscillate after inflation, and its…
We re-examine large scalar fields within effective field theory, in particular focussing on the issues raised by their use in inflationary models (as suggested by BICEP2 to obtain primordial tensor modes). We argue that when the large-field…
Bayesian inference techniques are used to investigate situations where an additional light scalar field is present during inflation and reheating. This includes (but is not limited to) curvaton-type models. We design a numerical pipeline…
It is shown, using quantum field theory in curved spacetime, how the expansion of the universe during inflation produces an aggregate of particles and inflaton vacuum fluctuations at a temperature of 5x10^17GeV and dense enough to make…
We study inflation induced by (power-low) scalar curvature corrections to General Relativity. The class of inflationary scalar potentials $V(\sigma)\sim\exp[n\,\sigma]$, $n$ general parameter, is investigated in the Einsein frame and the…
We continue to investigate properties of the strongly coupled inflaton in a setup introduced in arXiv:0807.3191 through the AdS/CFT correspondence. These properties are qualitatively different from those in conventional inflationary models.…
The refined de Sitter derivative conjecture provides constraints to potentials that are low energy effective theories of quantum gravity. It can give direct bounds on inflationary scenarios and determine whether the theory is in the…
We investigate the dynamics of homogeneous phase space for single-field models of inflation. Inflationary trajectories are formally attractors in phase space, but since in practice not all initial conditions lead to them, some degree of…
We show, within the single-field inflationary paradigm, that a linear non-minimal interaction $\xi\,M_P\,\phi\,R$ between the inflaton field $\phi$ and the Ricci scalar $R$ can result in successful inflation that concludes with an efficient…
We study the problem of scalar particle production after inflation by a rapidly oscillating inflaton field. We use the framework of the chaotic inflation scenario with quartic and quadratic inflaton potentials. Particular attention is paid…
We study the dynamics and perturbations during inflation and reheating in a multi-field model where a second scalar field $\chi$ is nonminimally coupled to the scalar curvature $(\frac12 \xi R\chi^2$). When $\xi$ is positive, the usual…
Protecting the inflationary potential from quantum corrections typically requires symmetries that constrain the form of couplings of the inflaton to other sectors. We will explore how these restrictions affect reheating in models with UV…
Analyses of inflation models are usually conducted assuming a specific range---e.g., $N_k \simeq 50-60$--of the number $N_k$ of $e$-folds of inflation. However, the analysis can also be performed by taking into account constraints imposed…