Enlarging the space of viable inflation models: A slingshot mechanism
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PhysRevD.100.083516.pdf
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AMER PHYSICAL SOCCitation
Dienes, K. R., Kost, J., & Thomas, B. (2019). Enlarging the space of viable inflation models: A slingshot mechanism. Physical Review D, 100(8), 083516.Journal
PHYSICAL REVIEW DRights
Copyright © The Author(s). Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
The viability of a given model for inflation is determined not only by the form of the inflaton potential, but also by the initial inflaton field configuration. In many models, field configurations which are otherwise well-motivated nevertheless fail to induce inflation, or fail to produce an inflationary epoch of duration sufficient to solve the horizon and flatness problems. In this paper, we propose a mechanism which enables inflation to occur even with such initial conditions. Our mechanism involves multiple scalar fields which experience a time-dependent mixing. This in turn leads to a “re-overdamping” phase as well as a parametric resonance which together “slingshot” the inflaton field from regions of parameter space that do not induce inflation to regions that do. Our mechanism is flexible, dynamical, and capable of yielding an inflationary epoch of sufficiently long duration. This slingshot mechanism can therefore be utilized in a variety of settings and thereby enlarge the space of potentially viable inflation models.Note
Open access articleISSN
2470-0010Version
Final published versionSponsors
U.S. Department of EnergyUnited States Department of Energy (DOE) [DE-FG02-13ER41976 (DE-SC0009913)]; U.S. National Science Foundation through its employee IR/D program; Institute for Basic Science in Korea [IBS-R018-D1]; National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation (NSF) [PHY-1607611, PHY-1720430]ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1103/physrevd.100.083516
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Copyright © The Author(s). Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.