Observational constraints on the energy scale of inflation

Journal Article · Fri Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.83.083522· OSTI ID:21541463

Zongkuan, Guo; Schwarz, Dominik J; Yuanzhong, Zhang ^[1]

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1. Fakultaet fuer Physik, Universitaet Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, 33501 Bielefeld (Germany) and Key Laboratory of Frontiers in Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2735, Beijing 100190 (China)

Determining the energy scale of inflation is crucial to understand the nature of inflation in the early universe. Assuming a power-law power spectrum of primordial curvature perturbations, we place observational constraints on the energy scale of the observable part of the inflaton potential by combining the 7-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe data with distance measurements from the baryon acoustic oscillations in the distribution of galaxies and the Hubble constant measurement. Our analysis provides an upper limit on this energy scale, 2.3x10{sup 16} GeV at 95% confidence level. Moreover, we forecast the sensitivity and constraints achievable by the Planck experiment by performing Monte Carlo studies on simulated data. Planck could significantly improve the constraints on the energy scale of inflation and on the shape of the inflaton potential.

• OSTI ID: 21541463
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Journal Name: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 83; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ANISOTROPY
BARYONS
CALCULATION METHODS
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
DISTRIBUTION
DISTURBANCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
GALAXIES
HADRONS
INFLATIONARY UNIVERSE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
MONTE CARLO METHOD
OSCILLATIONS
PERTURBATION THEORY
RADIATIONS
SENSITIVITY
SIMULATION
SPECTRA