Stability of hybrid Higgs inflation

Abstract

Hybrid Higgs inflation model is a hybrid type of the so-called Higgs inflation model with the conventional non-minimal $\xi$ coupling to a scalar curvature $R$ and new Higgs inflation model with the derivative coupling to the Einstein curvature tensor $G_{\mu\nu}$. This model can explain all possible value of the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ allowed by the present CMB constraints with an appropriate choice of coupling parameters. However the derivative coupling may causes a gradient instability during oscillation phase after inflation just as in new Higgs inflation model. Analyzing the behaviours of perturbations during oscillation phase in the hybrid Higgs inflation model, we show that the unstable scalar modes found in new Higgs inflation model are stabilized by the non-minimal $\xi$ coupling for some range of the coupling parameters.