BICEP2 implications for single-field slow-roll inflation revisited

Journal Article · Thu May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2014/05/035· OSTI ID:22373557

Antusch, Stefan; Nolde, David ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Basel, Klingelbergstr. 82, CH-4056 Basel (Switzerland)

It is generally believed that in single-field slow-roll inflation, a large tensor-to-scalar ratio r > 0.1 requires inflaton field values close to or above the Planck scale. Recently, it has been claimed that r > 0.15 can be achieved with much smaller inflaton field values Δφ < M{sub Pl}/10. We show that in single-field slow-roll inflation, it is impossible to reconcile r > 0.1 with such small field values, independently of the form of the potential, and that the recent claim to the contrary is based on an invalid approximation. We conclude that the result of the BICEP2 measurement of r > 0.1, if confirmed, truly has the potential to rule out small-field models of single-field slow-roll inflation.

• OSTI ID: 22373557
• Journal Information: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 2014, Issue 05; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1475-7516
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
APPROXIMATIONS
COSMOLOGICAL INFLATION
INFLATIONARY UNIVERSE
POTENTIALS
SCALARS
TENSORS