Related papers: TwInflation
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…
Recently we have studied in great detail a model of Hybrid Natural Inflation (HNI) by constructing two simple effective field theories. These two versions of the model allow inflationary energy scales as small as the electroweak scale in…
Effects of soft SUSY-breaking terms on inflation potentials are discussed. There exist generic constraints that must be satisfied in order not for the inflaton potential to loose its flatness. We examine explicitly the constraints in the…
F-term hybrid inflation models in the context of supergravity generically have corrections to the inflaton mass squared of the order of H^{2} (the \eta-problem). In addition they have a problem with large deviations of the spectrum of…
We consider a variant of Hybrid Inflation, where inflation is driven by two interacting scalar fields, one of which has a `Mexican hat' potential and the other a quartic potential. Given the appropriate initial conditions one of the fields…
Tribrid inflation is a class of supersymmetric inflation models where the scalar component of a matter superfield, or a $D$-flat direction of matter fields, drives inflation. Similar to Hybrid inflation, the end of inflation is reached when…
This thesis presents a possible inflation scenario as a consequence of non-minimal gravitational couplings in the Conformal Standard Model. That model consists, in comparison to the SM, of additional right-chiral neutrinos and a complex…
For simple inflationary models, we provide a consistent and complete scheme by which the macro-physical details of early universe inflation may be determined explicitly from the underlying micro-physical theory. We examine inflationary…
We investigate the role of the Higgs field as a fundamental scalar in the Standard Model within the framework of modular inflation models, where a modulus field acts as the inflaton and its interactions are governed by an underlying modular…
We introduce a new method that allows for the Higgs to be the inflaton. That is, we let the Higgs be a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone (pNG) boson of a global coset symmetry $G/H$ that spontaneously breaks at an energy scale $\sim 4\pi f$ and give…
In this talk we discuss a model of inflation based on a simple variant of the NMSSM, called $\phi$NMSSM \cite{phiNMSSM}, where the additional singlet $\phi$ plays the role of the inflaton in hybrid (or inverted hybrid) type models. As in…
A simple realization of inflation consists of adding the following operators to the Einstein-Hilbert action: (partial phi)^2, lambda phi^4, and xi phi^2 R, with xi a large non-minimal coupling. Recently there has been much discussion as to…
We investigate how inflation can emerge from four-fermion interactions generated by spacetime torsion, eliminating the need for additional scalar fields beyond the Standard Model. We partition fermions in two sectors and introduce two bound…
We introduce a new method for calculating density perturbations in hybrid inflation which avoids treating the fluctuations of the "waterfall" field as if they were small perturbations about a classical trajectory. We quantize only the…
The possibility of having an inflationary epoch within a noncommutative geometry approach to unifying gravity and the standard model is demonstrated. This inflationary phase occurs without the need to introduce "ad hoc" additional fields or…
We consider the impact of a kinetic pole of order one or two on the non-supersymmetric model of hybrid inflation. These poles arise due to logarithmic Kaehler potentials which control the kinetic mixing of the inflaton field and…
Usual inflation is realized with a slow rolling scalar field minimally coupled to gravity. In contrast, we consider dynamics of a scalar with a flat effective potential, conformally coupled to gravity. Surprisingly, it contains an attractor…
We propose a new scenario for early cosmology, where inflationary de Sitter phase dynamically occurs. The effect emerges as a result of dynamics of the topologically nontrivial sectors in expanding universe. Technically the effect can be…
We consider observational constraints and fine-tuning issues in a renormalizable model of inflection point inflation, with two independent parameters. We derive constraints on the parameter space of this model arising from the WMAP 7-year…
The tensor fraction $r\simeq 0.16$ found by BICEP2 corresponds to a Hubble parameter $H\simeq 1.0\times 10^{14}\GeV$ during inflation. This has two implications for the (single-field) slow-roll inflation hypothesis. First, the inflaton…