Constraining monodromy inflation
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom)
- Department of Physics, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland (New Zealand)
- School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States)
We use cosmic microwave background (CMB) data from the 9-year WMAP release to derive constraints on monodromy inflation, which is characterized by a linear inflaton potential with a periodic modulation. We identify two possible periodic modulations that significantly improve the fit, lowering χ{sup 2} by approximately 10 and 20. However, standard Bayesian model selection criteria assign roughly equal odds to the modulated potential and the unmodulated case. A modulated inflationary potential can generate substantial primordial non-Gaussianity with a specific and characteristic form. For the best-fit parameters to the WMAP angular power spectrum, the corresponding non-Gaussianity might be detectable in upcoming CMB data, allowing nontrivial consistency checks on the predictions of a modulated inflationary potential.
- OSTI ID:
- 22282674
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 2013, Issue 09; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1475-7516
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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