Evidence for inflation in an axion landscape

Abstract We discuss inflation models within supersymmetry and supergravity frameworks with a landscape of chiral superfields and one U(1) shift symmetry which is broken by non-perturbative symmetry breaking terms in the superpotential. We label the pseudo scalar component of the chiral fields axions...

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Main Authors: Pran Nath, Maksim Piskunov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2018-03-01
Series:Journal of High Energy Physics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP03(2018)121
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author Pran Nath
Maksim Piskunov
author_facet Pran Nath
Maksim Piskunov
author_sort Pran Nath
collection DOAJ
description Abstract We discuss inflation models within supersymmetry and supergravity frameworks with a landscape of chiral superfields and one U(1) shift symmetry which is broken by non-perturbative symmetry breaking terms in the superpotential. We label the pseudo scalar component of the chiral fields axions and their real parts saxions. Thus in the models only one combination of axions will be a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone-boson which will act as the inflaton. The proposed models constitute consistent inflation for the following reasons: the inflation potential arises dynamically with stabilized saxions, the axion decay constant can lie in the sub-Planckian region, and consistency with the Planck data is achieved. The axion landscape consisting of m axion pairs is assumed with the axions in each pair having opposite charges. A fast roll-slow roll splitting mechanism for the axion potential is proposed which is realized with a special choice of the axion basis. In this basis the 2m coupled equations split into 2m − 1 equations which enter in the fast roll and there is one unique linear combination of the 2m fields which controls the slow roll and thus the power spectrum of curvature and tensor perturbations. It is shown that a significant part of the parameter space exists where inflation is successful, i.e., N pivot = [50, 60], the spectral index n s of curvature perturbations, and the ratio r of the power spectrum of tensor perturbations and curvature perturbations, lie in the experimentally allowed regions given by the Planck experiment. Further, it is shown that the model allows for a significant region of the parameter space where the effective axion decay constant can lie in the sub-Planckian domain. An analysis of the tensor spectral index n t is also given and the future experimental data which constraints n t will further narrow down the parameter space of the proposed inflationary models. Topics of further interest include implications of the model for gravitational waves and non-Gaussianities in the curvature perturbations. Also of interest is embedding of the model in strings which are expected to possess a large axionic landscape.
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spelling doaj.art-29d0c1b661004565a8ea7920b50994342022-12-21T20:01:49ZengSpringerOpenJournal of High Energy Physics1029-84792018-03-012018313110.1007/JHEP03(2018)121Evidence for inflation in an axion landscapePran Nath0Maksim Piskunov1Department of Physics, Northeastern UniversityDepartment of Physics, Northeastern UniversityAbstract We discuss inflation models within supersymmetry and supergravity frameworks with a landscape of chiral superfields and one U(1) shift symmetry which is broken by non-perturbative symmetry breaking terms in the superpotential. We label the pseudo scalar component of the chiral fields axions and their real parts saxions. Thus in the models only one combination of axions will be a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone-boson which will act as the inflaton. The proposed models constitute consistent inflation for the following reasons: the inflation potential arises dynamically with stabilized saxions, the axion decay constant can lie in the sub-Planckian region, and consistency with the Planck data is achieved. The axion landscape consisting of m axion pairs is assumed with the axions in each pair having opposite charges. A fast roll-slow roll splitting mechanism for the axion potential is proposed which is realized with a special choice of the axion basis. In this basis the 2m coupled equations split into 2m − 1 equations which enter in the fast roll and there is one unique linear combination of the 2m fields which controls the slow roll and thus the power spectrum of curvature and tensor perturbations. It is shown that a significant part of the parameter space exists where inflation is successful, i.e., N pivot = [50, 60], the spectral index n s of curvature perturbations, and the ratio r of the power spectrum of tensor perturbations and curvature perturbations, lie in the experimentally allowed regions given by the Planck experiment. Further, it is shown that the model allows for a significant region of the parameter space where the effective axion decay constant can lie in the sub-Planckian domain. An analysis of the tensor spectral index n t is also given and the future experimental data which constraints n t will further narrow down the parameter space of the proposed inflationary models. Topics of further interest include implications of the model for gravitational waves and non-Gaussianities in the curvature perturbations. Also of interest is embedding of the model in strings which are expected to possess a large axionic landscape.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP03(2018)121Phenomenological ModelsSupersymmetry Phenomenology
spellingShingle Pran Nath
Maksim Piskunov
Evidence for inflation in an axion landscape
Journal of High Energy Physics
Phenomenological Models
Supersymmetry Phenomenology
title Evidence for inflation in an axion landscape
title_full Evidence for inflation in an axion landscape
title_fullStr Evidence for inflation in an axion landscape
title_full_unstemmed Evidence for inflation in an axion landscape
title_short Evidence for inflation in an axion landscape
title_sort evidence for inflation in an axion landscape
topic Phenomenological Models
Supersymmetry Phenomenology
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP03(2018)121
work_keys_str_mv AT prannath evidenceforinflationinanaxionlandscape
AT maksimpiskunov evidenceforinflationinanaxionlandscape