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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 505 records · Page 28
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DOE OSTI2011

Inflection point inflation: WMAP constraints and a solution to the fine tuning problem

We consider observational constraints and fine-tuning issues in a renormalizable model of inflection point inflation, with two independent parameters. We derive constraints on the parameter space of this model arising from the WMAP 7-year power spectrum. It has previously been shown that it is possible to successfully embed this potential in the MSSM. Unfortunately, to do this requires severe fine-tuning. We address this issue by introducing a hybrid field to dynamically uplift the potential with a subsequent smooth phase transition to end inflation at the necessary point. Large parameter regions exist where this drastically reduces the fine-tuning required without ruining the viability of the model. A side effect of this mechanism is that it increases the width of the slow-roll region of the potential, thus also alleviating the problem of the fine-tuning of initial conditions. The MSSM embedding we study has been previously shown to be able to explain the smallness of the neutrino masses. The hybrid transition does not spoil this feature as there exist parameter regions where the fine-tuning parameter is as large as 10{sup −1} and the neutrino masses remain small.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Eternal inflation and a thermodynamic treatment of Einstein's equations

In pursuing the intriguing resemblance of the Einstein equations to thermodynamic equations, most sharply seen in systems possessing horizons, we suggest that eternal inflation of the stochastic type may be a fruitful phenomenon to explore. We develop a thermodynamic first law for quasi-de Sitter space, valid on the horizon of a single observer's Hubble patch and explore consistancy with previous proposals for horizons of various types in dynamic and static situations. We use this framework to demonstrate that for the local observer fluctuations of the type necessary for stochastic eternal inflation fall within the regime where the thermodynamic approach is believed to apply. This scenario is interesting because of suggestive parallels with black hole evaporation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

The Primordial Inflation Explorer (PIXIE): a nulling polarimeter for cosmic microwave background observations

The Primordial Inflation Explorer (PIXIE) is a concept for an Explorer-class mission to measure the gravity-wave signature of primordial inflation through its distinctive imprint on the linear polarization of the cosmic microwave background. The instrument consists of a polarizing Michelson interferometer configured as a nulling polarimeter to measure the difference spectrum between orthogonal linear polarizations from two co-aligned beams. Either input can view the sky or a temperature-controlled absolute reference blackbody calibrator. Rhe proposed instrument can map the absolute intensity and linear polarization (Stokes I, Q, and U parameters) over the full sky in 400 spectral channels spanning 2.5 decades in frequency from 30 GHz to 6 THz (1 cm to 50 μm wavelength). Multi-moded optics provide background-limited sensitivity using only 4 detectors, while the highly symmetric design and multiple signal modulations provide robust rejection of potential systematic errors. The principal science goal is the detection and characterization of linear polarization from an inflationary epoch in the early universe, with tensor-to-scalar ratio r < 10{sup −3} at 5 standard deviations. The rich PIXIE data set can also constrain physical processes ranging from Big Bang cosmology to the nature of the first stars to physical conditions within the interstellar medium of the Galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Contribution of the hybrid inflation waterfall to the primordial curvature perturbation

A contribution ζ{sub χ} to the curvature perturbation will be generated during the waterfall that ends hybrid inflation, that may be significant on small scales. In particular, it may lead to excessive black hole formation. We here consider standard hybrid inflation, where the tachyonic mass of the waterfall field is much bigger than the Hubble parameter. We calculate ζ{sub χ} in the simplest case, and see why earlier calculations of ζ{sub χ} are incorrect.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Beauty is distractive: particle production during multifield inflation

We consider a two-dimensional model of inflation, where the inflationary trajectory is ''deformed'' by a grazing encounter with an Extra Species/Symmetry Point (ESP) after the observable cosmological scales have left the Hubble radius. The encounter entails a sudden production of particles, whose backreaction causes a bending of the trajectory and a temporary decrease in speed, both of which are sensitive to initial conditions. This ''modulated'' effect leads to an additional contribution to the curvature perturbation, which can be dominant if the encounter is close. We compute associated non-Gaussianities, the bispectrum and its scale dependence as well as the trispectrum, which are potentially detectable in many cases. In addition, we consider a direct modulation of the coupling to the light field at the ESP via a modulaton field, a mixed scenario whereby the modulaton is identified with a second inflaton, and an extended Extra Species Locus (ESL); all of these scenarios lead to similar additional contributions to observables. We conclude that inflaton interactions throughout inflation are strongly constrained if primordial non-Gaussianities remain unobserved in current experiments such as PLANCK. If they are observed, an ESP encounter leaves additional signatures on smaller scales which may be used to identify the model.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

DBI Lifshitz inflation

A new model of DBI inflation is introduced where the mobile brane, the inflaton field, is moving relativistically inside a Lifshitz throat with an arbitrary anisotropic scaling exponent z. After dimensional reduction to four dimension the general covariance is broken explicitly both in the matter and the gravitational sectors. The general action for the metric and matter field perturbations are obtained and it is shown to be similar to the classifications made in the effective field theory of inflation literature.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Chain inflation reconsidered

We investigate density perturbations in the chain inflation scenario, where the inflaton undergoes successive tunneling transitions along one field direction. First we show that when the bubble walls associated with such a phase transition meet, they induce the next phase transition and continue to propagate as phase interfaces. Then we present an analytical calculation of the density fluctuations and an estimate of non-Gaussianities such as f{sub NL}, which we find to be small (of order 1). To get the right amplitude for the power spectrum, there have to be 10{sup 8} phase transitions per Hubble time, a significant model building challenge. We find that working models of chain inflation must be rather strongly coupled, and thus have a very limited range of validity as effective field theories. We discuss generalizations to the multiple field case, the curvaton scenario, and noncanonical kinetic terms.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Anatomy of bispectra in general single-field inflation — Modal expansions

We discuss bispectra of single-field inflationary models described by general Lorentz invariant Lagrangians that are at most first order in field derivatives, including the fast-roll models investigated by Noller and Magueijo. Based on a factor analysis, we identify the least correlated basic contributions to the general shape and show quantitatively which templates provide a good approximation. We compute how relative contributions of basic shapes to the total bispectrum scale as slow roll is relaxed. To enable future comparison with CMB observations, we provide a modal expansion of these non-separable bispectra in Fourier space, employing the formalism by Fergusson et al. Convergence is rapid, usually better than ninety-five percent with less than thirty modes, due to the smoothness of these primordial shapes. Truncated polynomial modal expansions have restrictions, which we highlight using an example with slow convergence. The particular shape originates from particle production during inflation (common in trapped inflation) and entails both localized and oscillatory features. We show that this shape can be recovered efficiently using a Fourier basis and outline the prospect of future model parameter extraction and N-body simulations based on modal techniques.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Poly-instanton inflation

We propose a new inflationary scenario in type IIB Calabi-Yau compactifications, where the inflaton is a Kähler modulus parameterising the volume of an internal four-cycle. The inflaton potential is generated via poly-instanton corrections to the superpotential which give rise to a naturally flat direction due to their double exponential suppression. Given that the volume mode is kept stable during inflation, all the inflaton-dependent higher dimensional operators are suppressed. Moreover, string loop effects can be shown to be negligible throughout all the inflationary dynamics for natural values of the underlying parameters. The model is characterised by a reheating temperature of the order T{sub rh} ≅ 10{sup 6} GeV which requires N{sub e} ≅ 54 e-foldings of inflation. All the inflationary observables are compatible with current observations since the spectral index is n{sub s} ≅ 0.96, while the tensor-to-scalar ratio is r ≅ 10{sup −5}. The volume of the Calabi-Yau is of order 10{sup 3} in string units, corresponding to an inflationary scale around 10{sup 15} GeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2012

The overshoot problem in inflation after tunneling

We show the absence of the usual parametrically large overshoot problem of small-field inflation if initiated by a Coleman-De Luccia (CDL) tunneling transition from an earlier vacuum in the limit of small inflationary scale compared to the tunneling scale. For low-power monomial exit potentials V(φ) ∼ φ{sup n} , n < 4, we derive an expression for the amount of overshoot. This is bounded from above by the width of the steep barrier traversed after emerging from tunneling and before reaching a slow-roll region of the potential. For n ≥ 4 we show that overshooting is entirely absent. We extend this result through binomials to a general potential written as a series expansion, and to the case of arbitrary finite initial speed of the inflaton. This places the phase space of initial conditions for small-field and large-field inflation on the same footing in a landscape of string theory vacua populated via CDL tunneling.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Observable gravitational waves from inflation with small field excursions

The detection of primordial gravitational waves, or tensor perturbations, would be regarded as compelling evidence for inflation. The canonical measure of this is the ratio of tensor to scalar perturbations, r. For single-field slow-roll models of inflation with small field excursions, the Lyth bound dictates that if the evolution of the slow-roll parameter ε is monotonic, the tensor-to-scalar ratio must be below observationally detectable levels. We describe how non-monotonic evolution of ε can evade the Lyth bound and generate observationally large r, even with small field excursions. This has consequences for the scalar power spectrum as it necessarily predicts an enhancement in the spectrum at very small scales and significant scale-dependent running at CMB scales. This effect has not been appropriately accounted for in previous analyses. We describe a mechanism that will generically produce the required behaviour in ε and give an example of this mechanism arising in a well-motivated small-field model. This model can produce r ≥ 0.05 while satisfying all current observational constraints.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

The conformal transformation in general single field inflation with non-minimal coupling

The method of a conformal transformation is applied to a general class of single field inflation models with non-minimal coupling to gravity and non-standard kinetic terms, in order to reduce the cosmological perturbative calculation to the conventional minimal coupling case to all orders in perturbation theory. Our analysis is made simple by the fact that all perturbation variables in the comoving gauge are conformally invariant to all orders. The structure of the vacuum, on which cosmological correlation functions are evaluated, is also discussed. We show how quantization in the Jordan frame for non-minimally coupled inflation models can be equivalently implemented in the Einstein frame. It is thereafter argued that the general N-point cosmological correlation functions (of the curvature perturbation) are independent of the conformal frame.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Resonant magnetic fields from inflation

We propose a novel scenario to generate primordial magnetic fields during inflation induced by an oscillating coupling of the electromagnetic field to the inflaton. This resonant mechanism has two key advantages over previous proposals. First of all, it generates a narrow band of magnetic fields at any required wavelength, thereby allaying the usual problem of a strongly blue spectrum and its associated backreaction. Secondly, it avoids the need for a strong coupling as the coupling is oscillating rather than growing or decaying exponentially. Despite these major advantages, we find that the backreaction is still far too large during inflation if the generated magnetic fields are required to have a strength of O(10{sup −15} Gauss) today on observationally interesting scales. We provide a more general no-go argument, proving that this problem will apply to any model in which the magnetic fields are generated on subhorizon scales and freeze after horizon crossing.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Affleck-Dine baryogenesis in inflating curvaton scenario with O(10–10{sup 2} TeV) mass moduli curvaton

We study the Affleck-Dine (AD) baryogenesis in the inflating curvaton scenario, when the curvaton is a moduli field with O(10–10{sup 2} TeV) mass. A moduli field with such mass is known to be free from the Polonyi problem, and furthermore its decay products can explain the present cold dark matter abundance. In our scenario, it further explains the primordial curvature perturbation and the present baryon density all together. The current observational bound on the baryon isocurvature perturbation, which severely constrains the AD baryogenesis with the original oscillating moduli curvaton scenario, is shown to put practically negligible constraint if we replace the oscillating curvaton with the inflating curvaton.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Confronting quasi-exponential inflation with WMAP seven

We confront quasi-exponential models of inflation with WMAP seven years dataset using Hamilton Jacobi formalism. With a phenomenological Hubble parameter, representing quasi exponential inflation, we develop the formalism and subject the analysis to confrontation with WMAP seven using the publicly available code CAMB. The observable parameters are found to fair extremely well with WMAP seven. We also obtain a ratio of tensor to scalar amplitudes which may be detectable in PLANCK.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Fourth level MSSM inflation from new flat directions

We propose a model of inflation driven by minimal extension of SUSY, commonly known as MSSM. Starting from gauge invariant flat directions in the n = 4 level comprising of QQQL,QuQd,QuLe and uude, we construct the inflaton potential and employ it to investigate for its consequences around the saddle point arising from the non-vanishing fourth derivative of the original potential. To this end, we derive the expressions for the important parameters in MSSM inflation using the loop corrected potential. We further estimate the observable parameters and find them to fit well with recent observational data from WMAP7 by using the code CAMB. We also explore the possibility of primordial black hole formation from our model. Finally, we analyze one loop RGE and compute different phenomenological parameters which could be precisely determined in LHC or future Linear Colliders.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Effective field theory of multi-field inflation a la Weinberg

We generalise Weinberg's effective field theory approach to multiple-field inflation. In addition to standard terms in the Lagrangian we consider terms containing up to the fourth derivative of the scalar fields and the metric. The results illustrate the possible shapes of the interactions which will yield non-Gaussianity. Generally we find that the speed of sound differs from, but is close to unity, however large non-Gaussianities are possible in the multi-field case. The non-Gaussianity of the adiabatic mode and the entropy mode are correlated in shape and amplitude with the amount of the non-Gaussianity depending on the curvature of the classical field path in phase-space. We emphasize that in general the time derivative of adiabatic and entropy perturbations do not invariant due to the shift symmetry. However we find two specific combinations of them are invariant under such a symmetry and these combinations should be employed to construct an effective field theory of multi-field inflation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Inflationary predictions in scalar-tensor DBI inflation

The scalar-tensor Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) inflation scenario provides a simple mechanism to reduce the large values of the boost factor associated with single field models with DBI action, whilst still being able to drive 60 efolds of inflation. Using a slow-roll approach, we obtain an analytical expression for the spectral index of the perturbations and, moreover, determine numerically the regions of the parameter space of the model capable of giving rise to a power spectrum with amplitude and spectral index within the observed bounds. We find that regions that exhibit significant DBI effects throughout the inflationary period can be discarded by virtue of a blue-tilted spectral index, however, there are a number of viable cases — associated with a more red-tilted spectral index — for which the boost factor is initially suppressed by the effect of the coupling between the fields, but increases later to moderate values.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗