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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 487 records · Page 27
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DOE OSTI2016

Inflation expels runaways

We argue that moduli stabilization generically restricts the evolution following transitions between weakly coupled de Sitter vacua and can induce a strong selection bias towards inflationary cosmologies. The energy density of domain walls between vacua typically destabilizes Kähler moduli and triggers a runaway towards large volume. This decompactification phase can collapse the new de Sitter region unless a minimum amount of inflation occurs after the transition. A stable vacuum transition is guaranteed only if the inflationary expansion generates overlapping past light cones for all observable modes originating from the reheating surface, which leads to an approximately flat and isotropic universe. High scale inflation is vastly favored. Finally, our results point towards a framework for studying parameter fine-tuning and inflationary initial conditions in flux compactifications.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Leptogenesis from spontaneous symmetry breaking during inflation

Symmetry breaking in the Higgs field via a non-minimal coupling to gravity or higher-dimensional interactions with the inflaton can lead to condensation at a large vacuum expectation value (VEV) during inflation. After inflation is over, the Higgs field must relax to the minimum of its effective potential, creating an era in which the CPT is effectively broken by the time-depended VEV. We show that the matter-antimatter asymmetry can be generated during this relaxation epoch.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Supersymmetric B – L inflation near the conformal coupling

We investigate a novel scenario of cosmological inflation in a gauged B-L extended minimal supersymmetric Standard Model with R-symmetry. We use a noncanonical Kähler potential and a superpotential, both preserving the R-symmetry to construct a model of slow-roll inflation. The model is controlled by two real parameters: the nonminimal coupling ξ that originates from the Kähler potential, and the breaking scale v of the U (1)B-L symmetry. We compute the spectrum of the cosmological microwave background radiation and show that the prediction of the model fits well the recent Planck satellite observation for a wide range of the parameter space. We also find that the typical reheating temperature of the model is low enough to avoid the gravitino problem but nevertheless allows sufficient production of the baryon asymmetry if we take into account the effect of resonance enhancement. The model is free from cosmic strings that impose stringent constraints on generic U (1)B-L based scenarios, as in our scenario the U (1)B-L symmetry is broken from the onset.

Arai, Masato↗
DOE OSTI2013

Non-minimal Higgs inflation and frame dependence in cosmology

We investigate a very general class of cosmological models with scalar fields non-minimally coupled to gravity. A particular representative in this class is given by the non-minimal Higgs inflation model in which the Standard Model Higgs boson and the inflaton are described by one and the same scalar particle. While the predictions of the non-minimal Higgs inflation scenario come numerically remarkably close to the recently discovered mass of the Higgs boson, there remains a conceptual problem in this model that is associated with the choice of the cosmological frame. While the classical theory is independent of this choice, we find by an explicit calculation that already the first quantum corrections induce a frame dependence. We give a geometrical explanation of this frame dependence by embedding it into a more general field theoretical context. From this analysis, some conceptional points in the long lasting cosmological debate: 'Jordan frame vs. Einstein frame' become more transparent and in principle can be resolved in a natural way.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Warm inflation in presence of magnetic fields

We present preliminary results on the possible effects that primordial magnetic fields can have for a warm inflation scenario, based on global supersymmetry, with a new-inflation-type potential. This work is motivated by two considerations: first, magnetic fields seem to be present in the universe on all scales which rises de possibility that they could also permeate the early universe; second, the recent emergence of inflationary models where the inflaton is not assumed to be isolated but instead it is taken as an interacting field, even during the inflationary expansion. The effects of magnetic fields are included resorting to Schwinger's proper time method.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Inflation and leptogenesis from right handed sneutrinos in supergravity

We describe a supergravity model of inflation where the inflaton is identified with one linerar combination of two right handed sneutrino fields. The potential along the inflationary trajectory is flatter than that of massive chaotic inflation, resulting in a detectable but not ruled out tensor-to-scalar ratio r. In general, the potential for the two sneutrinos has complex phases. As a result, the two neutrinos can develop a nonvanishing lepton charge through a simple modification of the Affleck-Dine mechanism. [This talk summarizes the work of Evans, Ghergetta, and Peloso, Phys. Rev. D 92, no. 2, 021303 (2015) (Ref. 1). Please refer to that work for details and for a more comprehensive list of references.].

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Thermal history of the universe after inflation

When did the universe thermalize? In this talk I review the status of this issue and its importance in establishing the expected properties of dark matter, the growth of large-scale structure, and the viability of inflation models when confronted with CMB observations. I also present a novel approach to tackling the theoretical challenges surrounding inflationary (p)reheating, which seeks to extend past work on the Effective Field Theory of Inflation to the time of reheating.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2012

CONSTRAINTS ON SCALAR AND TENSOR PERTURBATIONS IN PHENOMENOLOGICAL AND TWO-FIELD INFLATION MODELS: BAYESIAN EVIDENCES FOR PRIMORDIAL ISOCURVATURE AND TENSOR MODES

We constrain cosmological models where the primordial perturbations have an adiabatic and a (possibly correlated) cold dark matter (CDM) or baryon isocurvature component. We use both a phenomenological approach, where the power spectra of primordial perturbations are parameterized with amplitudes and spectral indices, and a slow-roll two-field inflation approach where slow-roll parameters are used as primary parameters, determining the spectral indices and the tensor-to-scalar ratio. In the phenomenological case, with CMB data, the upper limit to the CDM isocurvature fraction is {alpha} < 6.4% at k = 0.002 Mpc{sup -1} and 15.4% at k = 0.01 Mpc{sup -1}. The non-adiabatic contribution to the CMB temperature variance is -0.030 < {alpha}{sub T} < 0.049 at the 95% confidence level. Including the supernova (SN) (or large-scale structure) data, these limits become {alpha} < 7.0%, 13.7%, and -0.048 < {alpha}{sub T} < 0.042 (or {alpha} < 10.2%, 16.0%, and -0.071 < {alpha}{sub T} < 0.024). The CMB constraint on the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r < 0.26 at k = 0.01 Mpc{sup -1}, is not affected by the non-adiabatic modes. In the slow-roll two-field inflation approach, the spectral indices are constrained close to 1. This leads to tighter limits on the isocurvature fraction; with the CMB data {alpha} < 2.6% at k = 0.01 Mpc{sup -1}, but the constraint on {alpha}{sub T} is not much affected, -0.058 < {alpha}{sub T} < 0.045. Including SN (or LSS) data, these limits become {alpha} < 3.2% and -0.056 < {alpha}{sub T} < 0.030 (or {alpha} < 3.4% and -0.063 < {alpha}{sub T} < -0.008). In addition to the generally correlated models, we study also special cases where the adiabatic and isocurvature modes are uncorrelated or fully (anti)correlated. We calculate Bayesian evidences (model probabilities) in 21 different non-adiabatic cases and compare them to the corresponding adiabatic models, and find that in all cases the data support the pure adiabatic model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

KELT-8b: A highly inflated transiting hot jupiter and a new technique for extracting high-precision radial velocities from noisy spectra

We announce the discovery of a highly inflated transiting hot Jupiter by the KELT-North survey. A global analysis including constraints from isochrones indicates that the V = 10.8 host star (HD 343246) is a mildly evolved, G dwarf with T{sub eff}=5754{sub −55}{sup +54} K, log g=4.078{sub −0.054}{sup +0.049}, [Fe/H]=0.272±0.038, an inferred mass M{sub ∗}=1.211{sub −0.066}{sup +0.078} M{sub ⊙}, and radius R{sub ∗}=1.67{sub −0.12}{sup +0.14} R{sub ⊙}. The planetary companion has a mass M{sub P}=0.867{sub −0.061}{sup +0.065} M{sub J}, radius R{sub P}=1.86{sub −0.16}{sup +0.18} R{sub J}, surface gravity log g{sub P}=2.793{sub −0.075}{sup +0.072}, and density ρ{sub P}=0.167{sub −0.038}{sup +0.047} g cm{sup −3}. The planet is on a roughly circular orbit with semimajor axis a=0.04571{sub −0.00084}{sup +0.00096} AU and eccentricity e=0.035{sub −0.025}{sup +0.050}. The best-fit linear ephemeris is T{sub 0}=2456883.4803±0.0007 BJD{sub TDB} and P=3.24406±0.00016 days. This planet is one of the most inflated of all known transiting exoplanets, making it one of the few members of a class of extremely low density, highly irradiated gas giants. The low stellar log g and large implied radius are supported by stellar density constraints from follow-up light curves, as well as an evolutionary and space motion analysis. We also develop a new technique to extract high-precision radial velocities from noisy spectra that reduces the observing time needed to confirm transiting planet candidates. This planet boasts deep transits of a bright star, a large inferred atmospheric scale height, and a high equilibrium temperature of T{sub eq}=1675{sub −55}{sup +61} K, assuming zero albedo and perfect heat redistribution, making it one of the best targets for future atmospheric characterization studies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Constraint on the gravitino mass in hybrid inflation

We revisit the F-term hybrid inflation model in supergravity. In particular, we point out that a constant term in the superpotential has significant effects on the inflaton dynamics. It is shown that the hybrid inflation model suffers from several potential problems: tuning of the initial condition, gravitino overproduction and formation of cosmic strings, for both minimal and non-minimal Kähler potentials. These problems can only be avoided in gauge-mediated SUSY breaking models where the gravitino is relatively light and the constant term in the superpotential is not important. Implications on the non-thermal leptogenesis scenario are also described.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

A naturally large four-point function in single field inflation

Non-Gaussianities of the primordial density perturbations have emerged as a very powerful possible signal to test the dynamics that drove the period of inflation. While in general the most sensitive observable is the three-point function in this paper we show that there are technically natural inflationary models where the leading source of non-Gaussianity is the four-point function. Using the recently developed Effective Field Theory of Inflation, we are able to show that it is possible to impose an approximate parity symmetry and an approximate continuos shift symmetry on the inflaton fluctuations that allow, when the dispersion relation if of the form ω ∼ c{sub s}k, for a unique quartic operator, while approximately forbidding all the cubic ones. The resulting shape for the four-point function is unique. In the models where the dispersion relation is of the form ω ∼ k{sup 2}/M a similar construction can be carried out and additional shapes are possible.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Higgs chaotic inflation in standard model and NMSSM

We construct a chaotic inflation model in which the Higgs fields play the role of the inflaton in the standard model as well as in the singlet extension of the supersymmetric standard model. The key idea is to allow a non-canonical kinetic term for the Higgs field. The model is a realization of the recently proposed running kinetic inflation, in which the coefficient of the kinetic term grows as the inflaton field. The inflaton potential depends on the structure of the Higgs kinetic term. In the simplest cases, the inflaton potential is proportional to φ{sup 2} and φ{sup 2/3} in the standard model and NMSSM, respectively.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Non-minimal sneutrino inflation, Peccei-Quinn phase transition and non-thermal leptogenesis

We consider a phenomenological extension of the minimal supersymmetric standard model which incorporates non-minimal chaotic inflation, driven by a quartic potential associated with the lightest right-handed sneutrino. Inflation is followed by a Peccei-Quinn phase transition based on renormalizable superpotential terms, which resolves the strong CP and μ problems of the minimal supersymmetric standard model provided that one related parameter of the superpotential is somewhat small. Baryogenesis occurs via non-thermal leptogenesis, which is realized by the inflaton decay. Confronting our scenario with the current observational data on the inflationary observables, the baryon assymetry of the universe, the gravitino limit on the reheating temperature and the upper bound on the light neutrino masses, we constrain the effective Yukawa coupling involved in the decay of the inflaton to relatively small values and the inflaton mass to values lower than 10{sup 12}GeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Inflation and the scale dependent spectral index: prospects and strategies

We consider the running of the spectral index as a probe of both inflation itself, and of the overall evolution of the very early universe. Surveying a collection of simple single field inflationary models, we confirm that the magnitude of the running is relatively consistent, unlike the tensor amplitude, which varies by orders of magnitude. Given this target, we confirm that the running is potentially detectable by future large scale structure or 21 cm observations, but that only the most futuristic measurements can distinguish between these models on the basis of their running. For any specified inflationary scenario, the combination of the running index and unknown post-inflationary expansion history induces a theoretical uncertainty in the predicted value of the spectral index. This effect can easily dominate the statistical uncertainty with which Planck and its successors are expected to measure the spectral index. More positively, upcoming cosmological experiments thus provide an intriguing probe of physics between TeV and GUT scales by constraining the reheating history associated with any specified inflationary model, opening a window into the ''primordial dark age'' that follows the end of inflation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Observational consequences of chaotic inflation with nonminimal coupling to gravity

Recently there was an extensive discussion of Higgs inflation in the theory with the potential λ/4 (φ{sup 2}−v{sup 2}){sup 2} and nonminimal coupling to gravity ξ/2 φ{sup 2}R, for ξ >> 1 and v || 1. We extend this investigation to the theories m{sup 2}/2 φ{sup 2} and λ/4 (φ{sup 2}−v{sup 2}){sup 2} with arbitrary values of ξ and v and describe implementation of these models in supergravity. We analyze observational consequences of these models and find a surprising coincidence of the inflationary predictions of the model λ/4 (φ{sup 2}−v{sup 2}){sup 2} with ξ < 0 in the limit |ξ|v{sup 2} → 1 with the predictions of the Higgs inflation scenario for ξ >> 1.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Perturbation theory in K-inflation coupled to matter

We consider k-inflation models where the action is a non-linear function of both the inflaton and the inflaton kinetic term. We focus on a scalar-tensor extension of k-inflation coupled to matter for which we derive a modified Mukhanov-Sasaki equation for the curvature perturbation. Significant corrections to the power spectrum appear when the coupling function changes abruptly along the inflationary trajectory. This gives rise to a modification of Starobinsky's model of perturbation features. We analyse the way the power spectrum is altered in the infrared when such features are present.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Primordial non-gaussianities in general modified gravitational models of inflation

We compute the three-point correlation function of primordial scalar density perturbations in a general single-field inflationary scenario, where a scalar field φ has a direct coupling with the Ricci scalar R and the Gauss-Bonnet term G. Our analysis also covers the models in which the Lagrangian includes a function non-linear in the field kinetic energy X = −(∂φ){sup 2}/2, and a Galileon-type field self-interaction G(φ,X)□φ, where G is a function of φ and X. We provide a general analytic formula for the equilateral non-Gaussianity parameter f{sub NL}{sup equil} associated with the bispectrum of curvature perturbations. A quasi de Sitter approximation in terms of slow-variation parameters allows us to derive a simplified form of f{sub NL}{sup equil} convenient to constrain various inflation models observationally. If the propagation speed of the scalar perturbations is much smaller than the speed of light, the Gauss-Bonnet term as well as the Galileon-type field self-interaction can give rise to large non-Gaussianities testable in future observations. We also show that, in Brans-Dicke theory with a field potential (including f(R) gravity), f{sub NL}{sup equil} is of the order of slow-roll parameters as in standard inflation driven by a minimally coupled scalar field.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Minimal composite inflation

We investigate models in which the inflaton emerges as a composite field of a four dimensional, strongly interacting and nonsupersymmetric gauge theory featuring only fermionic matter. We show that it is possible to obtain successful inflation via non-minimal coupling to gravity, and that the underlying dynamics is preferred to be near conformal. We discover that the compositeness scale of inflation is of the order of the grand unified energy scale.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗