Single-field Slow-roll Inflation Research Articles

Inflationary non-Gaussianities in alpha vacua and consistency with conformal symmetries

We study the conformal invariance of inflationary non-Gaussianities associated with scalar fluctuations in a non-Bunch-Davies initial state, known as the α-vacuum, in single-field slow-roll inflation. The α-vacuum is a one-parameter family of states, including the Bunch-Davies one, that preserves the conformal symmetry of inflationary dynamics in a nearly de-Sitter space-time. Working within the leading slow-roll approximation, we compute the four-point scalar correlator (the trispectrum) in α-vacuum using the in-in formalism. We check that the conformal Ward identities are met between the three and four-point scalar α-vacua correlators. Surprisingly, this contrasts the previously reported negative result of the Ward identities being violated between the two and the three-point correlators. We have also extended the wave-functional method, previously used for correlators with Bunch-Davies initial condition, to compute the three and four-point scalar correlators in α-vacua. The results obtained from the wave-function method match the corresponding in-in results, adding further justification to our check of Ward identities with α-vacua correlators.

Vanilla inflation predicts negative running

We show that the simplest, and currently favoured, theoretical realizations of cosmic inflation yield a sharp prediction for the running of the spectral index . Using latest cosmological data, we compute its marginalized posterior probability distribution over the space of nearly 300 models of single-field slow-roll inflation. The most probable value is , lying within the credible interval . Within the landscape of all the proposed slow-roll inflationary models, positive values for the running are therefore disfavoured at more than three-sigma.

Cosmic Inflation at the crossroads

The capability of Cosmic Inflation to explain the latest Cosmic Microwave Background and Baryonic Acoustic Oscillation data is assessed by performing Bayesian model comparison within the landscape of nearly three-hundred models of single-field slow-roll inflation. We present the first Bayesian data analysis based on the third-order slow-roll primordial power spectra. In particular, the fourth Hubble-flow function ε4 remains unbounded while the third function verifies, at two-sigma, ε3 ∈[-0.4,0.5], which is perfectly compatible with the slow-roll predictions for the running of the spectral index. We also observe some residual excess of B-modes within the BICEP/Keck data favoring, at a non-statistically significant level, non-vanishing primordial tensor modes: log(ε1) > -3.9, at 68% confidence level. Then, for 287 models of single-field inflation, we compute the Bayesian evidence, the Bayesian dimensionality and the marginalized posteriors of all the models' parameters, including the ones associated with the reheating era. The average information gain on the reheating parameter R reh reaches 1.3 ± 0.18 bits, which is more than a factor two improvement compared to the first Planck data release. As such, inflationary model predictions cannot meet data accuracy without specifying, or marginalizing over, the reheating kinematics. We also find that more than 40% of the scenarios are now strongly disfavored, which shows that the constraining power of cosmological data is winning against the increase of the number of proposed models. In addition, about 20% of all models have evidences within the most probable region and are all favored according to the Jeffreys' scale of Bayesian evidences.

Single field inflation in the light of Pulsar Timing Array Data: quintessential interpretation of blue tilted tensor spectrum through Non-Bunch Davies initial condition

In this work, we present a quintessential interpretation of having a blue-tilted tensor power spectrum for canonical single-field slow-roll inflation to explain the recently observed Pulsar Timing Array (NANOGrav 15-year and EPTA) signal of Gravitational Waves (GW). We formulate the complete semi-classical description of cosmological perturbation theory in terms of scalar and tensor modes using the Non-Bunch Davies initial condition. We found that the existence of the blue tilt (nt)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$(n_t)$$\\end{document} within the favoured range 1.2<nt<2.5\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$1.2<n_t<2.5$$\\end{document} can be explained in terms of a newly derived consistency relation. Further, we compute a new field excursion formula using the Non-Bunch Davies initial condition, that validates the requirement of Effective Field Theory in the sub-Planckian regime, |Δϕ|≪Mpl\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$|\\Delta \\phi |\\ll M_{\ extrm{pl}}$$\\end{document} for the allowed value of the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r<0.06\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$r<0.06$$\\end{document} from CMB observations. In our study, we refer to this result as Anti Lyth bound as it violates the well-known Lyth bound originally derived for Bunch Davies initial condition. Further, we study the behaviour of the spectral density of GW and the associated abundance with the frequency, which shows that within the frequency domain 10-9Hz<f<10-7Hz\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$10^{-9}~{\ extrm{Hz}}<f<10^{-7}~{\ extrm{Hz}}$$\\end{document} the outcome obtained from our analysis is completely consistent with the Pulsar Timing Array (NANOGrav 15-year and EPTA) signal. Also, we found that the behaviour of GW spectra satisfies the CMB constraints at the low frequency, f∗∼7.7×10-17Hz\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$f_*\\sim 7.7\ imes 10^{-17}~{\ extrm{Hz}}$$\\end{document} corresponding to the pivots scale wave number, k∗∼0.05Mpc-1.\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$k_*\\sim 0.05~{\ extrm{Mpc}}^{-1}.$$\\end{document} Finally, the sharp falling behaviour of the GW spectra within the frequency domain 10-7Hz<f<1Hz\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$10^{-7}~{\ extrm{Hz}}<f<1~{\ extrm{Hz}}$$\\end{document} validates our theory in the comparatively high-frequency regime as well.

Beyond (and back to) Palatini quadratic gravity and inflation

We study single-field slow-roll inflation embedded in Palatini F(R) gravity where F(R) grows faster than R 2. Surprisingly, the consistency of the theory requires the Jordan frame inflaton potential to be unbounded from below. Even more surprisingly, this corresponds to an Einstein frame inflaton potential bounded from below and positive definite. We prove that for all such Palatini F(R)'s, there exists a universal strong coupling limit corresponding to a quadratic F(R) with the wrong sign for the linear term and a cosmological constant in the Jordan frame. In such a limit, the tensor-to-scalar ratio r does not depend on the original inflaton potential, while the scalar spectral index ns does. Unfortunately, the system is ill-defined out of the slow-roll regime. A possible way out is to upgrade to a F(R,X) model, with X the Jordan frame inflaton kinetic term. Such a modification essentially leaves the inflationary predictions unaffected.

Isocurvature constraints on scalar dark matter production from the inflaton

We investigate the production of a spectator scalar dark matter field that is directly coupled to the inflaton during inflation and reheating. We consider two specific inflationary potentials, namely the Starobinsky and T-model of inflation, which satisfy the constraints on the scalar tilt, $n_s$, and tensor-to-scalar ratio, $r$, measured by the Planck satellite. Excitation of light scalar dark matter during inflation may result in large isocurvature perturbations, which can be avoided by inducing a sizable effective dark matter mass during the inflationary phase. For purely gravitational production, the Planck isocurvature constraints require the dark matter mass to be larger than the Hubble scale at horizon exit, with $m_{\chi} \gtrsim 0.5H_*$. For small bare dark matter masses $m_{\chi} \ll H_*$, these constraints translate into a lower bound on the dark matter coupling to the inflaton. We argue that these constraints can be applied to a wide class of single-field slow-roll inflation models. We also derive isocurvature, dark matter abundance, and Lyman-$\alpha$ constraints on the direct coupling and bare dark matter mass.

Inflationary epoch in the presence of holographic dark energy

We analyze the effects of the holographic dark energy model in a single field slow-roll inflation, taking into account both the holographic and the dark radiation components. In particular, we obtain the background evolution and compute the scalar and tensor power spectra. For the scalar sector we show that the power spectrum of the curvature perturbation encompasses the standard single field result and a correction proportional to Ωhde/ϵ, where Ωhde is the fractional density of the holographic component and ϵ is the first slow-roll parameter. This correction might be of order unity in the very beginning of the inflationary phase and decays rapidly. For the primordial gravitational waves we find the spectral index receives a correction from the graviton mass term, which decays in the first inflationary e-folds.

Slow-roll inflation in Palatini F(R) gravity

We study single field slow-roll inflation in the presence of F(R) gravity in the Palatini formulation. In contrast to metric F(R), when rewritten in terms of an auxiliary field and moved to the Einstein frame, Palatini F(R) does not develop a new dynamical degree of freedom. However, it is not possible to solve analytically the constraint equation of the auxiliary field for a general F(R). We propose a method that allows us to circumvent this issue and compute the inflationary observables. We apply this method to test scenarios of the form F(R) = R + αRn and find that, as in the previously known n = 2 case, a large α suppresses the tensor-to-scalar ratio r. We also find that models with F(R) increasing faster than R2 for large R suffer from numerous problems.

Spectral distortion anisotropy from inflation for primordial black holes

Single-field inflationary models that seek to greatly enhance small-scale power in order to form primordial black holes predict both a squeezed bispectrum that is enhanced by this small-scale power and a potentially detectable enhancement of cosmic microwave background (CMB) spectral distortions. Despite this combination, spectral distortion anisotropy on CMB scales remains small since the squeezed bispectrum represents an unobservable modulation of the scale rather than local amplitude for the short-wavelength acoustic power that dissipates and forms the $\ensuremath{\mu}$ spectral distortion. The leading-order amplitude effect comes from the local modulation of acoustic dissipation at the beginning of the $\ensuremath{\mu}$ epoch at the end of thermalization by a long-wavelength mode that is correlated with CMB anisotropy itself. Compensating factors from the suppression by the square of the ratio the comoving horizon at thermalization to the smallest detectable primary CMB scales ($\ensuremath{\sim}0.0005$) and maximal allowed enhancement of $\ensuremath{\mu}$ ($\ensuremath{\sim}5000$) leaves a signal in the $\ensuremath{\mu}T$ cross spectrum that is still well beyond the capabilities of PIXIE or LiteBIRD space missions due to sensitivity and resolution while remaining much larger than in single-field slow-roll inflation and potentially observable.

Primordial black holes and stochastic gravitational wave background from inflation with a noncanonical spectator field

We investigate the enhancement of the curvature perturbations in a single-field slow-roll inflation with a spectator scalar field kinetically coupled to the inflaton. The coupling term with a periodic function of inflaton triggers the exponential growth of the spectator field perturbations, which indirectly amplifies the curvature perturbations to produce a sizable abundance of primordial black holes (PBHs). This scenario is found to be insensitive to the inflationary background. We study two distinct populations of the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) produced in this scenario, i.e., induced by the scalar perturbations during the inflationary era and the radiation-dominated era, respectively. With the appropriate choices of parameter space, we consider two PBH mass windows of great interest. One is PBHs of masses $\mathcal{O}(10^{-12})M_\odot$ that can be a vital component of dark matter, and the predicted total energy spectrum of SGWB shows a unique profile and is detectable by LISA and Taiji. The other is PBHs of masses $\mathcal{O}(10)M_\odot$ which can provide consistent explanation for the LIGO-Virgo events. More interestingly, the predicted gravitational wave signal from the radiation-dominated era may account for the NANOGrav results.

A solution to the de Sitter swampland conjecture versus inflation tension via supergravity

The methods of supergravity allow us to derive a multi-field F-term potential. Using this, we denote a generic and non-positive single-field F-term potential. We insert our theory into the scalar-gravity part of the (2,1|1) invariant superconformal action. That action leads us to a de Sitter solution at the inflationary trajectory. One can denote stabilization of fields in terms of the Kähler kinetic terms and single-field slow-roll inflation parameters. We combine these with the de Sitter swampland conjecture to generate a bounded conjecture. This approach allowed us to show that the single field slow-roll inflation works in harmony with bounded de Sitter conjecture for any concave inflation potential.

Measuring the spectrum of primordial gravitational waves with CMB, PTA and laser interferometers

We investigate the possibility of measuring the primordial gravitational wave (GW) signal across 21 decades in frequencies, using the cosmic microwave background (CMB), pulsar timing arrays (PTA), and laser and atomic interferometers. For the CMB and PTA experiments we consider the LiteBIRD mission and the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), respectively. For the interferometers we consider space mission proposals including the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), the Big Bang Observer (BBO), the Deci-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (DECIGO), the μAres experiment, the Decihertz Observatory (DO), and the Atomic Experiment for Dark Matter and Gravity Exploration in Space (AEDGE), as well as the ground-based Einstein Telescope (ET) proposal. We implement the mathematics needed to compute sensitivities for both CMB and interferometers, and derive the response functions for the latter from the first principles. We also evaluate the effect of the astrophysical foreground contamination in each experiment. We present binned sensitivity curves and error bars on the energy density parameter, ΩGWh2, as a function of frequency for two representative classes of models for the stochastic background of primordial GW: the quantum vacuum fluctuation in the metric from single-field slow-roll inflation, and the source-induced tensor perturbation from the spectator axion-SU(2) inflation models. We find excellent prospects for joint measurements of the GW spectrum by CMB and space-borne interferometers mission proposals.

Dirac-Born-Infeld realization of sound speed resonance mechanism for primordial black holes

We present a concrete realization of the sound speed resonance (SSR) mechanism for primordial black hole (PBH) formation within a specific model of Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) inflation. We perform a perturbative approach to phenomenologically construct such a viable DBI inflation model that involves the nonoscillating stage and the oscillating stage, with a type of specific forms of the warp factor and the potential. We show that the continuous but nonsmooth conjunction of sound speed between two stages does not yield manifest effects on the phenomenology of SSR, and thus, our model gives rise to the same PBH mass spectrum as the original predictions of SSR. Additionally, we also demonstrate that the violation of adiabaticity of the Mukhanov-Sasaki equation does not affect the comoving curvature perturbation after Hubble crossing in the nonresonant region. Making use of observational data, we derive various cosmological constraints on the parameter space. Our analyses show that the predicted tensor-to-scalar ratio is typically small, while the amplitude of primordial non-Gaussianity can meet with cosmic microwave background bounds, and additionally, the consistency relation for single-field slow-roll inflation is softly violated in our case due to the small sound speed variations.

Power law plateau inflation potential in the RS II braneworld evading swampland conjecture

In the recent time, inflationary cosmology is facing an existential crisis due to the proposed Swampland criterion which aims to evade any (meta-)stable de Sitter construction within the String landscape. It is been realised that a single field slow roll inflation is inconsistent with the Swampland criterion unless the inflationary model is realised in some non-standard scenario such as Warm inflation or the Braneworld scenario. Dimopoulos and Owen (Phys Rev D 94(6): 063518, 2016) introduced a new class of model of inflation dubbed as the power law plateau inflation in the standard cold inflationary scenario. But to realise this model in the standard scenario consistent with observation, they had to introduce a phase of thermal inflation. In this paper we have analysed this model in the braneworld scenario to show that for some choice of the parameters defining the model class, one can have an observationally consistent power law plateau without any phase of thermal inflation. We have also shown that, for the correct choice of model parameters, one can easily satisfy the Swampland criterion. Besides, for correct choice of equation of states (w_{re}), one can also satisfy the recently proposed Trans–Planckian Censorship Conjecture (TCC).

Constraints on the generalized natural inflation after Planck 2018 * * Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11575075, 11705079, 11865012)

Based on the dynamics of single scalar field slow-roll inflation and the theory of reheating, we investigate the generalized natural inflationary (GNI) model. We introduce constraints on the scalar spectral index ns and the tensor-to scalar ratio r for the CDM model, according to the latest data from Planck 2018 TT, TE, EE+low E+lensing (P18) and BICEP2/Keck 2015 season (BK15), i.e., with at 68% confidence level (CL), and at 95% CL. We find that the GNI model is favored by P18 and BK15 in the ranges and at 68% CL. In addition, the corresponding predictions of generalized and two-phase reheating are discussed. It follows that the parameter m has significant effect on the model behavior.

Interferometer constraints on the inflationary field content

With an energy scale that can be as high as 1014 GeV, inflation may provide a unique probe of high-energy physics. Both scalar and tensor fluctuations generated during this early accelerated expansion contain crucial information about the particle content of the primordial universe. The advent of ground- and space-based interferometers enables us to probe primordial physics at length-scales much smaller than current CMB constraints. One key prediction of single-field slow-roll inflation is a red-tilted gravitational wave spectrum, currently inaccessible at interferometer scales. Interferometers probe directly inflationary physics that deviates from the minimal scenario and in particular additional particle content with sizeable couplings to the inflaton field. We adopt here an effective description for such fields and focus on the case of extra spin-2 fields. We find that time-dependent sound speeds for the helicity-2 modes can generate primordial gravitational waves with a blue-tilted spectrum, potentially detectable at interferometer scales.

Trans-Planckian Censorship and single-field inflaton potential

It was recently proposed that a field theory cannot be consistent with quantum gravity if it allows a mode shorter than the Planck length to exit the Hubble horizon. This is called the Trans-Planckian Censorship Conjecture (TCC). We discuss the implications of the TCC on the possible shape of the inflaton potential in single-field slow-roll inflation. We point out that (1) there is generically an initial condition in which the total e-folding number Ntotal is doubled or more compared to the e-folds necessary for the cosmic microwave background fluctuations, and (2) a sizable negative running of spectral index is generically expected to make Ntotal small. In concrete setups, we find a stringent constraint on the inflationary energy scale, Vinf1/4 < \U0001d4aa(10) TeV with r < \U0001d4aa(10−50), and the running parameter is bounded above as αs ≲ − 4 × 10−3.

The galaxy bias at second order in general relativity with non-Gaussian initial conditions

We present a systematic study of galaxy bias in the presence of primordial non-Gaussianity in General Relativity (GR) at second order in perturbation theory. The non-linearity of the Poisson equation in GR and primordial non-Gaussianity are consistently included. We show that the inclusion of non-local primordial non-Gaussianity in addition to local non-Gaussianity is important to show the absence of the modulation of small scale clustering by the long-wavelength mode in the single field slow-roll inflation. We study the bispectrum of the relativistic galaxy density in several gauges and identify the effect of primordial non-Gaussianity and GR corrections.

Gauss–Bonnet Inflation and the String Swampland

The swampland criteria are generically in tension with single-field slow-roll inflation because the first swampland criterion requires small tensor-to-scalar ratio while the second swampland criterion requires either large tensor-to-scalar ratio or large scalar spectral tilt. The challenge to single-field slow-roll inflation imposed by the swampland criteria can be avoided by modifying the relationship between the tensor-to-scalar ratio and the slow-roll parameter. We show that the Gauss–Bonnet inflation with the coupling function inversely proportional to the potential overcomes the challenge by adding a constant factor in the relationship between the tensor-to-scalar ratio and the slow-roll parameter. For the Gauss–Bonnet inflation, while the swampland criteria are satisfied, the slow-roll conditions are also fulfilled, so the scalar spectral tilt and the tensor-to-scalar ratio are consistent with the observations. We use the potentials for chaotic inflation and the E-model as examples to show that the models pass all the constraints. The Gauss–Bonnet coupling seems a way out of the swampland issue for single-field inflationary models.

Testing the inflationary slow-roll condition with tensor modes

A major goal of modern cosmology is the detection of $B$-modes in the cosmic microwave background polarization originated from primordial gravitational waves. Their detection not only could provide substantial evidence for primordial inflation but also could shed light on its physical nature. Under the assumption of single-field slow-roll inflation, a set of conditions exist for the scalar and tensor parameters. In particular, given a constraint on the scalar spectral index ${n}_{\mathrm{s}}$, its running ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{s}}$, its running of running ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{\mathrm{s}}$, and the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$, constraints can be derived on the tensor spectral index ${n}_{\mathrm{t}}$, its running ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{t}}$, its running of running ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{\mathrm{t}}$, and its running of running of running ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathrm{t}}$. Using current bounds from the Planck 2015 and BICEP2 datasets and under the slow condition we found the following constraints at 95% C.L.: ${n}_{\mathrm{t}}g\ensuremath{-}0.0157$, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\mathrm{t}}=\ensuremath{-}0.0001{8}_{\ensuremath{-}0.00024}^{+0.00019}$, ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{\mathrm{t}}=0.0000{4}_{\ensuremath{-}0.00013}^{+0.00022}$, and ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathrm{t}}=0.0001{7}_{\ensuremath{-}0.00019}^{+0.00040}$. Future measurements of the tensor spectrum could therefore be used to test these bounds and the slow-roll condition.