Double-well inflation: observational constraints and theoretical implications

Abstract

We revisit the small field double-well inflationary model and investigate its observational viability in light of the current Cosmic Microwave Background data. In particular, considering scenarios with minimal and nonminimal coupling between the inflaton field and the Ricci scalar, we perform a Monte Carlo Markov chain analysis to probe the model's parameter space. We also investigate the consequences of the cosmological results in the canonical type-I seesaw mechanism context and obtain constraints on the vacuum expectation value of the inflaton field, together with the amplitude of the coupling to gravity in the nonminimal case. We employ a Bayesian procedure to compare the model's predictions with the Starobinsky inflationary scenario and find a strong statistical preference for the latter against the minimal and nonminimal coupled double-well scenario.