We point out that in the large field regime, the recently proposed superconformal D-term inflation model coincides with the Starobinsky model. In this regime, the inflaton field dominates over the Planck mass in the gravitational kinetic term in the Jordan frame. Slow-roll inflation is realized in the large field regime for sufficiently large gauge couplings. The Starobinsky model generally emerges as an effective description of slow-roll inflation if a Jordan frame exists where, for large inflaton field values, the action is scale invariant and the ratio \hat λ of the inflaton self-coupling and the nonminimal coupling to gravity is tiny. The interpretation of this effective coupling is different in different models. In superconformal D-term inflation it is determined by the scale of grand unification, \hat λ ~ (Λ_{GUT}/M_P)^4.
We find a way to represent the Starobinsky model in terms of a simple conformally invariant theory with spontaneous symmetry breaking. We also present a superconformal theory, which, upon spontaneous breaking of the superconformal symmetry, provides a consistent supergravity generalization of the Starobinsky model.
We point out that the ability of some models of inflation, such as Higgs inflation and the universal attractor models, in reproducing the available data is due to their relation to the Starobinsky model of inflation. For large field values, where the inflationary phase takes place, all these classes of models are indeed identical to the Starobinsky model. Nevertheless, the inflaton is just an auxiliary field in the Jordan frame of the Starobinsky model and this leads to two important consequences: first, the inflationary predictions of the Starobinsky model and its descendants are slightly dif…
In this paper we point out that Starobinky inflation could be induced by quantum effects due to a large non-minimal coupling of the Higgs boson to the Ricci scalar. The Higgs Starobinsky mechanism provides a solution to issues attached to large Higgs field values in the early universe which in a metastable universe would not be a viable option. We verify explicitly that these large quantum corrections do not destabilize Starobinsky's potential.
Motivated by the recent observation of the B-mode signal in the cosmic microwave background by BICEP2, we stuty the Starobinsky-type inflation model in the framework of old-minimal supergravity, where the inflaton field in the original (non-supersymmetric) Starobinsky inflation model becomes a complex field. We study how the inflaton evolves on the two-dimensional field space, varying the initial condition. We show that (i) one of the scalar fields has a very steep potential once the trajectory is off from that of the original Starobinsky inflation, and that (ii) the B-mode signal observed by …
Using a no-scale supergravity framework, we construct an SO(10) model that makes predictions for cosmic microwave background observables similar to those of the Starobinsky model of inflation, and incorporates a double-seesaw model for neutrino masses consistent with oscillation experiments and late-time cosmology. We pay particular attention to the behaviour of the scalar fields during inflation and the subsequent reheating.
We propose a simple modification of the no-scale supergravity Wess-Zumino model of Starobinsky-like inflation to include a Polonyi term in the superpotential. The purpose of this term is to provide an explicit mechanism for supersymmetry breaking at the end of inflation. We show how successful inflation can be achieved for a gravitino mass satisfying the strict upper bound $m_{3/2}< 10^3$ TeV, with favoured values $m_{3/2}\lesssim\mathcal{O}(1)$ TeV. The model suggests that SUSY may be discovered in collider physics experiments such as the LHC or the FCC.
Higgs inflation and $R^2$-inflation (Starobinsky model) are two limits of the same quantum model, hereafter called Starobinsky-Higgs. We analyse the two-loop action of the Higgs-like scalar $ϕ$ in the presence of: 1) non-minimal coupling ($ξ$) and 2) quadratic curvature terms. The latter are generated at the quantum level with $ϕ$-dependent couplings ($\tildeα$) even if their tree-level couplings ($α$) are tuned to zero. Therefore, the potential always depends on both Higgs field $ϕ$ and scalaron $ρ$, hence multi-field inflation is a quantum consequence. The effects of the quantum (one- and tw…
We revisit the problem of generality of Starobinsky and Higgs inflation. The known results obtained in the Einstein frame are generalized for the case of an arbitrary initial energy of the scalar field. These results are compared with the results obtained directly in the Jordan frame, which, to our knowledge, has not been thoroughly explored in the literature previously. We demonstrate that the qualitative picture of initial conditions zone in the $(ϕ, \dot ϕ)$ plane, which leads to sufficient amount of inflation, is quite similar for both the frames in the case of Higgs inflation. For Starobi…
We embed a flipped ${\rm SU}(5) \times {\rm U}(1)$ GUT model in a no-scale supergravity framework, and discuss its predictions for cosmic microwave background observables, which are similar to those of the Starobinsky model of inflation. Measurements of the tilt in the spectrum of scalar perturbations in the cosmic microwave background, $n_s$, constrain significantly the model parameters. We also discuss the model's predictions for neutrino masses, and pay particular attention to the behaviours of scalar fields during and after inflation, reheating and the GUT phase transition. We argue in fav…
Models of cosmological inflation resembling the Starobinsky R + R^2 model emerge naturally among the effective potentials derived from no-scale SU(N,1)/SU(N) x U(1) supergravity when N > 1. We display several examples in the SU(2,1)/SU(2) x U(1) case, in which the inflaton may be identified with either a modulus field or a matter field. We discuss how the modulus field may be stabilized in models in which a matter field plays the role of the inflaton. We also discuss models that generalize the Starobinsky model but display different relations between the tilt in the spectrum of scalar density …
We consider an extension of the Starobinsky model, whose parameters are functions of an extra scalar field. Our motivation is to test the robustness (or sensitivity) of the Starobinsky inflation against mixing scalaron with another (matter) scalar field. We find that the extended Starobinsky model is (classically) equivalent to the two-field inflation, with the scalar potential having a flat direction. For the sake of fully explicit calculations, we perform a numerical scan of the parameter space. Our numerical calculations support the viability of the Starobinsky-like two-field inflation for …
We elaborate on the predictions of the imaginary Starobinsky model of inflation coupled to matter, where the inflaton is identified with the imaginary part of the inflaton multiplet suggested by the Supergravity embedding of a pure R + R^2 gravity. In particular, we study the impact of higher-order curvature terms and show that, depending on the parameter range, one may find either a quadratic model of chaotic inflation or monomial models of chaotic inflation with fractional powers between 1 and 2.
Based on the current experimental data, the Standard Model predicts that the current vacuum state of the Universe is metastable, leading to a non-zero rate of vacuum decay through nucleation of bubbles of true vacuum. Our existence implies that there cannot have been any such bubble nucleation events anywhere in our whole past lightcone. We consider a minimal scenario of the Standard Model together with Starobinsky inflation, using three-loop renormalization group improved Higgs effective potential with one-loop curvature corrections. We show that the survival of the vacuum state through infla…
We consider the ghost-free higher order corrections to the Starobinsky model in the old minimal supergravity. In general, higher order corrections cannot be forbidden by symmetries, which likely violate the flatness of the scalaron potential and makes inflation difficult to explain the present Universe. We find a severe constraint on the dimensionless coupling of the $R^4$ correction as $-5.5 \times 10^{-8}<s<9.1 \times 10^{-8}$ from the recent results of the Planck observation. If we start from the chaotic initial condition, the constraint becomes much severer. However, in the case where the …
It is shown that Starobinsky-like potentials can be realized in non-geometric flux compactifications of string theory, where the inflaton involves an axion whose shift symmetry can protect UV-corrections to the scalar potential. For that purpose we evaluate the backreacted, uplifted F-term axion-monodromy potential, which interpolates between a quadratic and a Starobinsky-like form. Limitations due to the requirements of having a controlled approximation of the UV theory and of realizing single-field inflation are discussed.
We consider the simplest extension to the Starobinsky model, by allowing an extra scalar field to help drive inflation. We perform our analysis in the Einstein frame and calculate the power spectra at the end of inflation to second order in the slow--roll parameters. We find that the model gives predictions in great agreement with the current Planck data without the need for fine-tuning. Our results encourage current efforts to embed the model in a supergravity setting.
We investigate the recently proposed possibility of chaotic inflation with respect to the imaginary part of the field T in a supersymmetric embedding of the Starobinsky model. We show that the stage of rapid expansion driven by Im T in this model ends almost instantly, and the subsequent stages of inflation are driven by the real part of the field T, as in the standard Starobinsky model. Thus, the Starobinsky model and its supersymmetric generalizations remain disfavored by the recent BICEP2 data.
Starobinsky inflation and Higgs inflation in gravity, and their equivalence based on the common inflationary potential are extended to supergravity in the proper framework, where the Starobinsky and Higgs descriptions of inflation arise in two different gauges of the same supergravity model.
The recent detection by the BICEP2 collaboration of a high level of tensor modes seems to exclude the Starobinsky model of inflation. In this paper we show that this conclusion can be avoided: one can embed the Starobinsky model in supergravity and identify the inflaton field with the imaginary (instead of the real) part of the chiral scalaron multiplet in its formulation. Once coupled to matter, the Starobinsky model may then become the chaotic quadratic model with shift symmetry during inflation and is in good agreement with the current data.
In this work, we study unified picture of inflation and dark matter in the Higgs-Starobinsky (HS) model. As pointed out in the literature, Starobinsky $R^2$ inflation is induced by quantum correction effect from the large Higgs-curvature (graviton) coupling. We start with non-minimal coupling HS action in Jordan frame. We then transform the Jordan frame action into the Einstein one using the conformal transformation. The inflation potential is derived from the gravitational action of non-minimal-Higgs coupling and Starobinsky term in Einstein frame where the $R^2$ term is dominated in the infl…
We discuss how the higher-derivative Starobinsky model of inflation originates from N=1 supergravity. It is known that, in the old-minimal supergravity description written by employing a chiral compensator in the superconformal framework, the Starobinsky model is equivalent to a no-scale model with F-term potential. We show that the Starobinsky model can also be originated within the so-called new-minimal supergravity, where a linear compensator superfield is employed. In this formulation, the Starobinsky model is equivalent to standard supergravity coupled to a massive vector multiplet whose …
We present a novel realization of Starobinsky-type inflation within Supergravity using two chiral superfields. The proposed superpotential is inspired by induced-gravity models. The Kaehler potential contains two logarithmic terms, one for the inflaton T and one for the matter-like field S, parameterizing the SU(1,1)/U(1)x SU(2)/U(1) Kaehler manifold. The two factors have constant curvatures -m/n and 2/n2, where n, m are the exponents of T in the superpotential and Kaehler potential respectively, and 0<n2<=6. The inflationary observables depend on the ratio 2n/m only. Essentially they coincide…
Tokyo Metropolitan University（东京都立大学）；Tomsk State University（托木斯克国立大学）；Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (WPI), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study（理化学研究所 Kavli 宇宙物理学与数学研究所（WPI），东京大学高等研究院）
We derive a general criterion that defines all single-field models leading to Starobinsky-like inflation and to universal predictions for the spectral index and tensor-to-scalar ratio, which are in agreement with Planck data. Out of all the theories that satisfy this criterion, we single out a special class of models with the interesting property of retaining perturbative unitarity up to the Planck scale. These models are based on induced gravity, with the Planck mass determined by the vacuum expectation value of the inflaton.
We investigate inflationary attractor points by analyzing non-minimally coupled single field inflation models in two opposite limits; the `flat' limit in which the first derivative of the conformal factor is small and the `steep' limit, in which the first derivative of the conformal factor is large. We consider a subset of models that yield Starobinsky inflation in the steep conformal factor, strong coupling, limit and demonstrate that they result in chaotic inflation in the opposite flat, weak coupling, limit. The suppression of higher order powers of the inflaton field in the potential is sh…
We investigate the production of primordial black holes and their contribution to the presently observed dark matter in a dilaton two-field extension of Starobinsky's quadratic $f(R)$ model of inflation. The model features a multi-field amplification mechanism which leads to the generation of a sharp peak in the inflationary power spectrum at small wavelengths responsible for the production of primordial black holes. This mechanism is significantly different from single-field models and requires a stochastic treatment during an intermediate phase of the inflationary dynamics. We find that the …
We describe the primeval inflationary phase of the early Universe within a quantum field theoretical (QFT) framework that can be viewed as the effective action of vacuum decay in the early times. Interestingly enough, the model accounts for the "graceful exit" of the inflationary phase into the standard radiation regime. The underlying QFT framework considered here is Supergravity (SUGRA), more specifically an existing formulation in which the Starobinsky-type inflation (de-Sitter background) emerges from the quantum corrections to the effective action after integrating out the gravitino field…
We consider a non-canonic field in the context of Starobinsky inflation. We work in Einstein-frame. In this frame, the gravitational part of the action is equivalent to the Hilbert-Einstein action, plus a scalar field called scalaron. We investigate a model with a heavy scalaron trapped at the effective potential minimum, where its fluctuations are negligible. To be more explicit, we consider a Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) field, which is usually considered within the brane inflation context, as the non-canonic field. Although, the DBI field governs inflation through implicit dependence on Scalaron…
We study a single fluid component in a flat like universe (FLU) governed by $f(T)$ gravity theories, where $T$ is the teleparallel torsion scalar. The FLU model, regardless the value of the spatial curvature $k$, identifies a special class of $f(T)$ gravity theories. Remarkably, the FLU $f(T)$ gravity does not reduce to teleparallel gravity theory. In large Hubble spacetime the theory is consistent with the inflationary universe scenario and respects the conservation principle. The equation of state (EoS) evolves similarly in all models $k=0, \pm 1$. We study the case when the torsion tensor i…
In the context of dynamical breaking of local supersymmetry (supergravity), including the Deser-Zumino super-Higgs effect, for the simple but quite representative cases of N=1, D=4 supergravity, we discuss the emergence of Starobinsky-type inflation, due to quantum corrections in the effective action arising from integrating out gravitino fields in their massive phase. This type of inflation may occur after a first-stage small-field inflation that characterises models near the origin of the one-loop effective potential, and it may occur at the non-trivial minima of the latter. Phenomenological…
We single out the Starobinsky model and its extensions among generic $f(R)$ gravity as attractors at large field values for chaotic inflation. Treating a $R^3$ curvature term as a perturbation of the Starobinsky model, we impose the phenomenological bounds on the additional term satisfying the successful inflationary predictions. We find that the scalar spectral index can vary in both the red or blue tilted direction, depending on the sign of the coefficient of the $R^3$ term, whereas the tensor-to-scalar ratio is less affected in the Planck-compatible region. We also discuss the role of highe…
In this work, we studied the slow-roll approximation of cosmic inflation within the context of $f(R,T)$ gravity, where $R$ is the scalar curvature, and $T$ is the trace of the energy-momentum tensor. By choosing a minimal coupling between matter and gravity, we obtained the modified slow-roll parameters, the scalar spectral index ($n_s$), the tensor spectral index ($n_{\textrm{T}}$), and the tensor-to-scalar ratio ($r$). We computed these quantities for a general power-law potential, Natural & Quartic Hilltop inflation, and the Starobinsky model, plotting the trajectories on the $(n_s,r)$ plan…
We explore two saddle point inflationary scenarios in the context of higher order corrections related to different generalisations of general relativity. Firstly, we deal with Jordan frame Starobinsky potential, for which we identify a portion of a parameter space of inflection point inflation, which can accommodate all the experimental results. Secondly, we analyse Higgs inflation and more specifically the influence of non-renormalisible terms on the standard quartic potential. All results were verified with the PLANCK 2015 data.
We study several extensions of the Starobinsky model of inflation, which obey all observational constraints on the inflationary parameters, by demanding that both the inflaton scalar potential in the Einstein frame and the $F(R)$ gravity function in the Jordan frame have the explicit dependence upon fields {\it and} parameters in terms of elementary functions. Our models are continuously connected to the original Starobinsky model via changing the parameters. We modify the Starobinsky $(R+R^2)$ model by adding an $R^3$-term, an $R^4$-term, and an $R^{3/2}$-term, respectively, and calculate the…
We present a model for cosmological inflation based on a no-scale supergravity sector with an SU(2,1)/U(1) Kahler potential, a single modulus T and an inflaton superfield Phi described by a Wess-Zumino model with superpotential parameters (mu, lambda). This model yields a scalar spectral index n_s and a tensor-to-scalar ratio r that are compatible with the Planck measurements for values of lambda simeq mu/3M_P. For the specific choice lambda = mu/3M_P, the model is a no-scale supergravity realization of the R+R^2 Starobinsky model.
Recently, the nonperturbative quantization scheme of loop quantum gravity has been extended to the Brans-Dicke theory and the corresponding loop quantum Brans-Dicke cosmology has been derived, which provides an essential platform to explore inflationary models in this framework. In this paper, we consider two inflation models, the Starobinsky and $α$-attractor inflation whose cosmological predictions are in excellent agreement with Planck data, and study systematically their pre-inflationary dynamics as well as the slow-roll inflation. We show that for both models, the background evolution of …
We study reheating processes and its cosmological consequences in the Starobinsky model embedded in the old-minimal supergravity. First, we consider minimal coupling between the gravity and matter sectors in the higher curvature theory, and transform it to the equivalent standard supergravity coupled to additional matter superfields. We then discuss characteristic decay modes of the inflaton and the reheating temperature $T_{\rm R}$. Considering a simple model of supersymmetry breaking sector, we estimate gravitino abundance from inflaton decay, and obtain limits on the masses of gravitino and…
A self-consistent pre-inflationary extension of the inflationary scenario with the Starobinsky potential, favored by Planck data, is studied using techniques from loop quantum cosmology (LQC). The results are compared with the quadratic potential previously studied. Planck scale completion of the inflationary paradigm and observable signatures of LQC are found to be robust under the change of the inflaton potential. The entire evolution, from the quantum bounce all the way to the end of inflation, is compatible with observations. Occurrence of desired slow-roll phase is almost inevitable and n…
Superstring/M-theory is the theory of quantum gravity that can provide the UV-completion to viable inflation models. We modify the Starobinsky inflation model by adding the Bel-Robinson tensor $T^{μνλρ}$ squared term proposed as the leading quantum correction inspired by superstring theory. The $(R+\frac{1}{6m^2}R^2 -\fracβ{8m^6}T^2)$ model under consideration has two parameters: the inflaton mass $m$ and the string-inspired positive parameter $β$. We derive the equations of motion in the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker universe and investigate its solutions. We find the physical bounds on…
The epochs of reheating and preheating are studied in a simple extension of the Starobinsky inflationary model, which consists of an $R^2$--correction to the Einstein--Hilbert action and an additional scalar field. We find that if the $R^2$--correction at the end of inflation is dynamically important, it affects the expansion rate and as a consequence the reheating and preheating processes. While we find that the reheating temperature and duration of reheating are only slightly affected, the effect has to be taken into account when comparing the theory to data. In the case of preheating, the g…
In the new-minimal supergravity formulation we present the embedding of the $R+R^2$ Starobinsky model of inflation. Starting from the superspace action we perform the projection to component fields and identify the Starobinsky model in the bosonic sector. Since there exist no other scalar fields, this is by construction a single field model. This higher curvature supergravity also gives rise to a propagating massive vector. Finally we comment on the issues of higher order corrections and initial conditions.
Analytic infinite derivative (AID) non-local quadratic curvature gravity in Weyl basis is known to be ghost free, superrenormalizable or finite and perturbatively Unitary and as such it is Ultra-Violet (UV) complete. Recently $R+R^2$ ("Starobinsky") inflation was successfully embedded in AID non-local gravity and the corresponding observables were computed. Here in this paper, we derive the form factors compatible within near de Sitter aproaximation and prove that the theory must contain a scalaron that drives inflationary expansion. Further more we consider the form factors (AID non-local ope…
We study a model including a real scalar field $ϕ$ non-minimally coupled to $F({\cal R})$ gravity, which is conformally equivalent to an Einstein-Hilbert theory, involving two real scalar fields. We consider three special cases of the potential of the field $ϕ$ in the $F({\cal R})$-frame: a vanishing potential, a mass term and a Higgs potential. All these lead to non-trivial two-field potentials in the Einstein-frame which in particular directions resemble the well-known Starobinsky model. We find, that all these cases can yield viable inflationary models in complete agreement with current obs…
We review the realization of Starobinsky-type inflation within induced-gravity Supersymmetric (SUSY) and non-SUSY models. In both cases, inflation is in agreement with the current data and can be attained for subplanckian values of the inflaton. The corresponding effective theories retain perturbative unitarity up to the Planck scale and the inflaton mass is predicted to be 3x10^13 GeV. The supergravity embedding of these models is achieved by employing two gauge singlet chiral supefields, a superpotential that is uniquely determined by a continuous R and a discrete Zn symmetry, and several (s…
We consider the Starobinsky inflation with a set of higher order corrections parametrised by two real coefficients $λ_1, λ_2$. In the Einstein frame we have found a potential with the Starobinsky plateau, steep slope and possibly with an additional minimum, local maximum or a saddle point. We have identified three types of inflationary behaviour that may be generated in this model: i) inflation on the plateau, ii) at the local maximum (topological inflation), iii) at the saddle point. We have found limits on parameters $λ_i$ and initial conditions at the Planck scale which enable successful in…
In this paper we construct a bounce model that mimics the Starobinsky inflationary model. Our construction relies on Wands' duality, which shows that the Mukhanov-Sasaki equation has a symmetry transformation by changing appropriately its time-dependent mass term. One of the advantages of this constructive method is that one can control every contribution to the primordial power spectrum and check how far we can emulate a given primordial model with a different scenario. In particular, we show that mapping the Starobinsky inflation into a quasi-matter bounce gives the correct relation between …
A novel superstring-inspired gravitational theory in four spacetime dimensions is proposed as a sum of the modified $(R+αR^2)$ gravity motivated by the Starobinsky inflation and the Bel-Robinson-tensor-squared term motivated by the eleven-dimensional M-theory dimensionally reduced to four dimensions. The proposed Starobinsky-Bel-Robinson action has only two parameters, which makes it suitable for verifiable physical applications in black hole physics, cosmological inflation and Hawking radiation in the early universe.
We present a model of inflation based on the anomaly-induced effective action of gravity in the presence of a conformally invariant Hilbert-Einstein term. Our approach is based on the conformal representation of the fields action and on the integration of the corresponding conformal anomaly. In contradistinction to the original Starobinsky's model, inflation can be stable at the beginning and unstable at the end. The instability is caused by a slowing down of inflation due to quantum effects associated to the massive fermion fields. In supersymmetric theories this mechanism can be linked to th…
We compute analytically the dominant contribution to the tree-level bispectrum in the Starobinsky model of inflation. In this model, the potential is vacuum energy dominated but contains a subdominant linear term which changes the slope abruptly at a point. We show that on large scales compared with the transition scale $k_0$ and in the equilateral limit the analogue of the non-linearity parameter scales as $(k/k_0)^2$, that is its amplitude decays for larger and larger scales until it becomes subdominant with respect to the usual slow-roll suppressed corrections. On small scales we show that …
