Inflation in the light of BICEP2 and PLANCK

The BICEP2 /Keck + PLANCK joint analysis of the B-model polarization and polarization by foreground dust sets an upper bound on the tensor-to-scalar ratio of r_0.05 < 0.12 at 95% CL. The popular Starorbinsky model Higgs-inflation or the conformally equivalent Higgs-inflation model allow low r values (～ 10^?3). We survey the generalizations of the Starobinsky–Higgs models which would allow larger values (r ～ 0.1). The Starobinsky–Higgs inflation models require an exponential potential which can be naturally derived from SUGRA models. We show that a variation of the no-scale SUGRA model can give rise to the generalized Starobinsky models which give large r. We also examine non-standard boundary conditions which would allow a large deviation of the tensor spectral index from the slow roll values and propose that the presence of a thermal component in the tensor spectrum arises from Gibbons–Hawking temperature of the de-Sitter space.     

The imaginary Starobinsky model and higher curvature corrections

We elaborate on the predictions of the imaginary Starobinsky model of inflation coupled to matter, where the inflaton is identified with the imaginary part of the inflaton multiplet suggested by the Supergravity embedding of a pure gravity. In particular, we study the impact of higher‐order curvature terms and show that, depending on the parameter range, one may find either a quadratic model of chaotic inflation or monomial models of chaotic inflation with fractional powers between 1 and 2.     

Stochastic inflation with quantum and thermal noise

We add a thermal noise to Starobinsky equation of slow roll inflation. We calculate the number of e-folds of the stochastic system. The power spectrum and the spectral index are evaluated from the fluctuations of the e-folds using an expansion in the quantum and thermal noise terms.     

Inflation and reheating in the Starobinsky model with conformal HiggsField

This is a talk presented by A.A. Tokareva at Baikal summer school on physics of elementary particles and astrophysics 2012. We studied the reheating after the Starobinsky inflation and have found that the main process is the inflaton decay to SM gauge fields due to the conformal anomaly. The reheating temperature is low leading to the possibility to detect the gravity wave signal from inflation and evaporation of structures formed after inflation in DECIGO and BBO experiments. Also we give predictions for the parameters of scalar perturbation spectrum at the next-to-leading order of slow roll and obtain a bound on the Higgs mass.     

Inflationary perturbations in no-scale theories

We study the inflationary perturbations in general (classically) scale-invariant theories. Such scenario is motivated by the hierarchy problem and provides natural inflationary potentials and dark matter candidates. We analyse in detail all sectors (the scalar, vector and tensor perturbations) giving general formulae for the potentially observable power spectra, as well as for the curvature spectral index \(n_\mathrm{s}\) and the tensor-to-scalar ratio r. We show that the conserved Hamiltonian for all perturbations does not feature negative energies even in the presence of the Weyl-squared term if the appropriate quantisation is performed and argue that this term does not lead to phenomenological problems at least in some relevant setups. The general formulae are then applied to a concrete no-scale model, which includes the Higgs and a scalar, “the planckion”, whose vacuum expectation value generates the Planck mass. Inflation can be triggered by a combination of the planckion and the Starobinsky scalar and we show that no tension with observations is present even in the case of pure planckion inflation, if the coefficient of the Weyl-squared term is large enough. In general, even quadratic inflation is allowed in this case. Moreover, the Weyl-squared term leads to an isocurvature mode, which currently satisfies the observational bounds, but it may be detectable with future experiments.     

The growth factor of matter perturbations in f(R) gravity

The growth of matter perturbations in the f(R) model proposed by Starobinsky is studied in this paper. Three different parametric forms of the growth index are considered respectively, and constraints on the model are obtained at both the 1σ and 2σ confidence levels, by using the current observational data for the growth factor. It is found, for all the three parametric forms of the growth index examined, that the Starobinsky model is consistent with the observations only at the 2σ confidence level.     

Background Dynamics of Pre-inflationary Scenario in Brans-Dicke Loop Quantum Cosmology

Recently the background independent nonperturbative quantization has been extended to various theories of gravity and the corresponding quantum effective cosmology has been derived, which provides us with necessary avenue to explore the pre-inflationary dynamics. Brans-Dicke (BD) loop quantum cosmology (LQC) is one of such theories whose effective background dynamics is considered in this article. Starting with a quantum bounce, we explore the pre-inflationary dynamics of a universe sourced by a scalar field with the Starobinsky potential in BD-LQC. Our study is based on the idea that though Einstein's and Jordan's frames are classically equivalent up to a conformal transformation in BD theory, this is no longer true after quantization. Taking the Jordan frame as the physical one we explore in detail the bouncing scenario which is followed by a phase of a slow roll inflation. The three phases of the evolution of the universe, namely, bouncing, transition from quantum bounce to classical universe, and the slow roll inflation, are noted for an initially kinetic energy dominated bounce. In addition, to be consistent with observations, we also identify the allowed phase space of initial conditions that would produce at least 60 e-folds of expansion during the slow roll inflation.     

Induced-gravity GUT-scale Higgs inflation in supergravity

Models of induced-gravity inflation are formulated within Supergravity employing as inflaton the Higgs field which leads to a spontaneous breaking of a \(U(1)_{B-L}\) symmetry at \(M_\mathrm{GUT}=2\cdot 10^{16}~{\mathrm{GeV}}\). We use a renormalizable superpotential, fixed by a U(1) R symmetry, and Kähler potentials which exhibit a quadratic non-minimal coupling to gravity with or without an independent kinetic mixing in the inflaton sector. In both cases we find inflationary solutions of Starobinsky type whereas in the latter case, others (more marginal) which resemble those of linear inflation arise too. In all cases the inflaton mass is predicted to be of the order of \(10^{13}~{\mathrm{GeV}}\). Extending the superpotential of the model with suitable terms, we show how the MSSM \(\mu \) parameter can be generated. Also, non-thermal leptogenesis can be successfully realized, provided that the gravitino is heavier than about \(10~{\mathrm{TeV}}\).     

Scalaron production in contracting astrophysical objects

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics - We study the creation of high-energy SM particles in the Starobinsky model of dark energy (a variant of F(R)-gravity) inside the regions...     

Searching for Constraints on Starobinsky’s Model with a Disappearing Cosmological Constant on Galaxy Cluster Scales

Predictions of the f(R)-gravity model with a disappearing cosmological constant (Starobinsky’s model) on scales characteristic of galaxies and their clusters are considered. The absence of a difference in the mass dependence of the turnaround radius between Starobinsky’s model and General Relativity accessible to observation at the current accuracy of measurements has been established. This is true both for small masses (from 10⁹M_Sun) corresponding to an individual galaxy and for masses corresponding to large galaxy clusters (up to 10¹⁵M_Sun). The turnaround radius increases with parameter n for all masses. Despite the fact that some models give a considerably smaller turnaround radius than does General Relativity, none of the models goes beyond the bounds specified by the observational data.     

The( p,q) inflation model

In this paper we propose a new inflation model named( p, q) inflation model in which the inflaton potential contains both positive and negative powers of inflaton field in the polynomial form. We derive the accurate predictions of the canonical single-field slow-roll inflation model. Using these formula, we show that our inflation model can easily generate a large amplitude of tensor perturbation and a negative running of spectral index with large absolute value.     

Power-law inflation with exponential potentials

We investigate some power-law solutions in inflationary cosmology, both by analytic and numerical means, considering first a simple model of a scalar field with an exponential field coupled to gravity. As has been pointed out recently by Yokoyama and Maeda, in power-law inflation viscous forces caused by couplings of the inflation to other particles can be important. We use numerical simulation to examine the effects of this viscosity on the inflation, for both a simple exponential potential and a more realistic potential motivated by particle physics. In general, the viscosity enhances the exponent of the power-law inflation, increasing the efficiency of inflation in power-law models, and we outline a specific inflationary model featuring viscosity.     

Warm tachyonic inflation in strong dissipative regime: A study with exp[-T2] potential

Warm inflation is an interesting possibility of describing the early universe. The basic idea of warm inflation is that a scalar field called inflaton is coupled to several other fields in the inflationary era. In this paper, we study the warm tachyonic inflation with exp[-T²] potential. In the present model the dissipation coefficient has been considered as constant. We find that the model can successfully predict the cosmological observables within the experimental bounds.     

How Can Brane Inflation Solve the Fine-Tuning Problem?

Brane inflation can provide a promising framework for solving the fine-tuning problem in standard inflationary models. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the mechanism by which this can be achieved. By considering the supersymmetric two-stage inflation model we show that the initial fine-tuning of the coupling parameter can be controlled through a relation between the coupling parameter and the brane tension.     

广义球对称带电蒸发黑洞的量子热效应和非热效应

研究了广义球对称带电蒸发黑洞周围的时空中Dirac粒子的Hawking辐射以及Starobinsky-Unruh过程. 关键词：