New models of chaotic inflation in supergravity

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2010/11/011· OSTI ID:22275461

Kallosh, Renata; Linde, Andrei ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States)

We introduce a new class of models of chaotic inflation inspired by the superconformal approach to supergravity. This class of models allows a functional freedom of choice of the inflaton potential V = |f(φ)|{sup 2}. The simplest model of this type has a quadratic potential m{sup 2}φ{sup 2}/2. Another model describes an inflaton field with the standard symmetry breaking potential λ{sup 2}(φ{sup 2}−v{sup 2}){sup 2}. Depending on the value of v and on initial conditions for inflation, the spectral index n{sub s} may take any value from 0.97 to 0.93, and the tensor-to-scalar ratio r may span the interval form 0.3 to 0.01. A generalized version of this model has a potential λ{sup 2}(φ{sup α}−v{sup α}){sup 2}. At large φ and α > 0, this model describes chaotic inflation with the power law potential ∼ φ{sup 2α}. For α < 0, this potential describes chaotic inflation with a potential which becomes flat in the large field limit. We further generalize these models by introducing a nonminimal coupling of the inflaton field to gravity. The mechanism of moduli stabilization used in these models allows to improve and generalize several previously considered models of chaotic inflation in supergravity.

• OSTI ID: 22275461
• Journal Information: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 2010; ISSN 1475-7516
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
CHAOS THEORY
COSMOLOGY
COUPLING
GRAVITATION
INDEXES
INFLATIONARY UNIVERSE
INFLATONS
POTENTIALS
SCALARS
SUPERGRAVITY
SYMMETRY BREAKING
TENSORS