We investigate the inflationary predictions of a simple Horndeski theory where the inflaton scalar field has a non-minimal derivative coupling (NMDC) to the Einstein tensor. The NMDC is very motivated for the construction of successful models for inflation, nevertheless its inflationary predictions are not observationally distinct. We show that it is possible to probe the effects of the NMDC on the CMB observables by taking into account both the dynamics of the inflationary slow-roll phase and the subsequent reheating. We perform a comparative study between representative inflationary models with canonical fields minimally coupled to gravity and models with NMDC. We find that the inflation models with dominant NMDC generically predict a higher reheating temperature and a different range for the tilt of the scalar perturbation spectrum $n_s$ and scalar-to-tensor ratio $r$, potentially testable by current and future CMB experiments.
We investigate the inflaton decay and reheating period after the end of inflation in the non-minimal derivative coupling (NDC) model with chaotic potential. In general, this model is known to provide an enhanced slow-roll inflation caused by gravitationally enhanced friction. We find violent oscillations of Hubble parameter which induces oscillations of the sound speed squared, implying the Lagrangian instability of curvature perturbation $ζ$ under the comoving gauge $φ=0$. Also, it is shown that the curvature perturbation blows up at $\dotϕ=0$, leading to the breakdown of the comoving gauge a…
The curvaton reheating mechanism in a non-minimal derivative coupling to gravity for any non-oscillating (NO) model is studied. In this framework, we analyze the energy density during the kinetic epoch and we find that this energy has a complicated dependencies of the scale factor. Considering this mechanism, we study the decay of the curvaton in two different scenarios and also we determine the reheating temperatures. As an example the NO model, we consider an exponential potential and we obtain the reheating temperature indirectly from the inflation through of the number of e-folds.
In this paper, we continue our study on the curvaton model with nonminimal derivative coupling (NDC) to Einstein gravity proposed in our previous work, focusing on the reheating mechanism. We found that according to whether the curvaton has dominated the background after the end of inflation, it will have two different behaviors of evolution, which should be the general property of curvaton with nonminimal couplings. This will cause diffferent rates of particle creation, which goes on via the parametric resonance process. The reheating temperature is estimated for both cases in which reheating…
We study $α$-attractor models with both E-model and T-model potential in an extended Non-Minimal Derivative (NMD) inflation where a canonical scalar field and its derivatives are non-minimally coupled to gravity. We calculate the evolution of perturbations during this regime. Then by adopting inflation potentials of the model we show that in the large N and small $α$ limit, value of the scalar spectral index ns and tensor to scalar ratio r are universal. Next, we study reheating after inflation in this formalism. We obtain some constraints on the model's parameter space by adopting the results…
We study a scale-invariant model of quadratic gravity with a non-minimally coupled scalar field. We focus on cosmological solutions and find that scale invariance is spontaneously broken and a mass scale naturally emerges. Before the symmetry breaking, the Universe undergoes an inflationary expansion with nearly the same observational predictions of Starobinsky's model. At the end of inflation, the Hubble parameter and the scalar field converge to a stable fixed point through damped oscillations and the usual Einstein-Hilbert action is recovered. The oscillations around the fixed point can reh…
In the present article we showcase how the reheating era can be described properly in the context of Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity assuming that the primordial gravitational waves propagate with the velocity of light. The equations of the duration of reheating along with the reheating temperature are derived and as demonstrated, their expressions are quite similar to the case of a canonical scalar field where now the second derivative of the Gauss-Bonnet scalar coupling function appears and effectively alters the numerical value of the scalar potential. The appearance of such term is reminisci…
We investigate the generation of Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) with the aid of gravitationally increased friction mechanism originated from the NonMinimal field Derivative Coupling (NMDC) to gravity framework, with the quartic potential. Applying the coupling parameter as a two-parted function of inflaton field and fine-tuning of five parameter assortments we can acquire ultra slow-roll phase to slow down the inflaton field due to high friction. This enables us to achieve enough enhancement in the amplitude of curvature perturbations power spectra to generate PBHs with different masses. The re…
In this work we address the reheating issue in the context of $F(R)$ gravity, for theories that the inflationary era does not obey the slow-roll condition but the constant-roll condition is assumed. As it is known, the reheating era takes place after the end of the inflationary era, so we investigate the implications of a constant-roll inflation era on the reheating era. We quantify our considerations by calculating the reheating temperature for the constant-roll $R^2$ model and we compare to the standard reheating temperature in the context of $F(R)$ gravity. As we demonstrate, the new reheat…
In order to describe inflation in general relativity, scalar fields must inevitably be used, with all the setbacks of that description. On the other hand, $f(R)$ gravity and other modified gravity theories seem to provide a unified description of early and late-time dynamics without resorting to scalar or phantom theories. The question is, can modified gravity affect directly the mysterious radiation domination era? Addressing this question is the focus in this work, and we shall consider the case for which in the early stages of the radiation domination era, namely during the reheating era, t…
We derive the reconstruction formulae for the inflation model with the non-minimal derivative coupling term. If reconstructing the potential from the tensor-to-scalar ratio, we could obtain the potential without using the high friction limit. As an example, we reconstruct the potential from the parametrization $r=8α/(N+β)^γ$, which is a general form of the $α$-attractor. The reconstructed potential has the same asymptotic behavior as the T- and E-model if we choose $γ=2$ and $α\ll1$. We also discuss the constraints from the reheating phase preceding the radiation domination by assuming the par…
We revisit the inflationary dynamics in detail for theories with Gauss-Bonnet gravity coupled to scalar functions, in light of the Planck data. Considering the chaotic inflationary scenario, we constrain the parameters of two models involving inflaton-Gauss-Bonnet coupling by current Planck data. For non zero inflaton-Gauss-Bonnet coupling $β$, an inflationary analysis provides us a big cosmologically viable region in the space of $(m,β)$, where $m$ is the mass of inflaton. However, we study further on constraining $β$ arising from reheating considerations and unitarity of tree-level amplitude…
We revisit the reheating mechanism after the end of inflation in the non-minimal derivative coupling (NDC) to gravity with quadratic potential. This is because the inflaton of the NDC should describe the slow-roll inflation as well as the preheating stage after the end of inflation. We point out that the non-periodic inflaton solution implies the absence of parametric resonance, compared to the periodic oscillating inflaton for the canonical coupling (CC) to gravity. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that narrow and broad parametric resonances do not appear after the end of inflation in the NDC …
In the cold inflation scenario, the slow roll inflation and reheating via coherent rapid oscillation, are usually considered as two distinct eras. When the slow roll ends, a rapid oscillation phase begins and the inflaton decays to relativistic particles reheating the Universe. In another model dubbed warm inflation, the rapid oscillation phase is suppressed, and we are left with only a slow roll period during which the reheating occurs. Instead, in this paper, we propose a new picture for inflation in which the slow roll era is suppressed and only the rapid oscillation phase exists. Radiation…
The ultraviolet completion of gauge theories by higher derivative terms can dramatically change their behavior at high energies. The requirement of asymptotic freedom imposes very stringent constraints that are only satisfied by a small family of higher derivative theories. If the number of derivatives is large enough ($n > 4$) the theory is strongly interacting both at extreme infrared and ultraviolet regimes whereas it remains asymptotically free for a low number of extra derivatives ($n \leqslant 4$). In all cases the theory improves its ultraviolet behavior leading in some cases to ultravi…
The article is devoted to the investigation of the Noether currents and integrals of motion in the special subclass of theories with higher field derivatives -- theories under differential field transformations in action (DFTA). Under fairly general assertions, we derive a simple representation for the integrals as sums of "old" integrals of motion, terms, that vanishes on the "old" equations of motion and surface integrals. We show that for some cosmological theories of that kind with high order derivatives the last contribution can violate gauge invariance, specifically, diffeomorphisms. The…
Infinite derivative theory of gravity is a modification to the general theory of relativity. Such modification maintains the massless graviton as the only true physical degree of freedom and avoids ghosts. Moreover, this class of modified gravity can address classical singularities. In this thesis some essential aspects of an infinite derivative theory of gravity are studied. Namely, we considered the Hamiltonian formalism, where the true physical degrees of freedom for infinite derivative scalar models and infinite derivative gravity are obtained. Furthermore, the Gibbons-Hawking-York boundar…
We construct no-ghost theories of analytic mechanics involving arbitrary higher-order derivatives in Lagrangian. It has been known that for theories involving at most second-order time derivatives in the Lagrangian, eliminating linear dependence of canonical momenta in the Hamiltonian is necessary and sufficient condition to eliminate Ostrogradsky ghost. In the previous work we showed for the specific quadratic model involving third-order derivatives that the condition is necessary but not sufficient, and linear dependence of canonical coordinates corresponding to higher time-derivatives also …
In general coordinate invariant gravity theories whose Lagrangians contain arbitrarily high order derivative fields, the Noether currents for the global translation and for the Nakanishi's IOSp(8|8) choral symmetry containing the BRS symmetry as its member, are constructed. We generally show that for each of those Noether currents a suitable linear combination of equations of motion can be brought into the form of Maxwell-type field equation possessing the Noether current as its source term.
In this paper we will consider the ultraviolet (UV) finiteness of the most general one-particle irreducible ($1$PI) Feynman diagrams within the context of ghost-free, infinite-derivative scalar toy model, which is inspired from ghost free and singularity-free infinite-derivative theory of gravity. We will show that by using dressed vertices and dressed propagators, $n$-loop, $N$-point diagrams constructed out of lower-loop $2$- & $3$-point and, in general, $N_i$-point diagrams are UV finite with respect to internal and external loop momentum. Moreover, we will demonstrate that the external mom…
We consider $R^2$ inflation in the Palatini gravity assuming the existence of scalar fields, coupled to gravity in the most general manner. These theories, in the Einstein frame, and for one scalar field $h$, share common features with $K$ - inflation models. We apply this formalism for the study of popular inflationary models, whose potentials are monomials, $ V \sim h^{n} $, with $ n $ a positive even integer. We also study the Higgs model non-minimally coupled to gravity. Although these have been recently studied, in the framework of the Palatini approach, we show that the scalar power spec…
Typically higher-derivative theories are unstable. Instabilities manifest themselves from extra propagating degrees of freedom, which are unphysical. In this paper, we will investigate an infinite derivative field theory and study its true dynamical degrees of freedom via Hamiltonian analysis. In particular, we will show that if the infinite derivatives can be captured by a Gaussian kinetic term, i.e. exponential of entire function, then it is possible to prove that there are only finite number of dynamical degrees of freedom. We will further extend our investigation into infinite derivative t…
We consider diffeomorphism invariant theories of gravity with arbitrary higher derivative terms in the Lagrangian as corrections to the leading two derivative theory of Einstein's general relativity. We construct a proof of the zeroth law of black hole thermodynamics in such theories. We assume that a stationary black hole solution in an arbitrary higher derivative theory can be obtained by starting with the corresponding stationary solution in general relativity and correcting it order by order in a perturbative expansion in the coupling constants of the higher derivative Lagrangian. We prove…
We propose an entropy current for dynamical black holes in a theory with arbitrary four derivative corrections to Einstein's gravity, linearized around a stationary black hole. The Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory is a special case of the class of theories that we consider. Within our approximation, our construction allows us to write down a completely local version of the second law of black hole thermodynamics, in the presence of the higher derivative corrections considered here. This ultra-local, stronger form of the second law is a generalization of a weaker form, applicable to the total entro…
In the present work, we study slow-roll inflation in scalar-tensor gravity theories in the presence of both the non-minimal coupling between the scalar field and curvature, and the Galileon self-interaction of the scalar field. Furthermore, we give predictions for the duration of reheating as well as for the reheating temperature after inflation. After working out the expressions for the power spectra of scalar and tensor perturbations in the case of a general non-minimal coupling function that depends solely on the scalar field and a general scalar potential, we focus on the special cases of …
For the subclass of Horndeski theory of gravity, we investigate the effects of reheating on the predictions of natural inflation. In the presence of derivative self-interaction of a scalar field and its kinetic coupling to the Einstein tensor, the gravitational friction to inflaton dynamics is enhanced. As a result, the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ is suppressed. We place the observational constraints on a natural inflation model and show that the model is now consistent with the observational data for some plausible range of the model parameter $Δ$, mainly due to the suppressed tensor-to-scalar…
We study a novel class of higher derivative theories for interacting massless gravitons in Minkowski spacetime. These theories were first discussed by Wald decades ago, and are characterized by scattering amplitudes essentially different from general relativity and many of its modifications. We discuss various aspects of these higher derivative theories, including the Lagrangian construction, violation of asymptotic causality, scattering amplitudes, non-renormalization, and possible implications on emergent gravitons from condensed matter systems.
We introduce inflationary models where the inflaton features a field dependent non-minimal derivative coupling to the Einstein tensor, that we name GNMDC. This Horndeski term gives new and distinguishable inflationary predictions in a framework that ameliorates possible problems related with gradient instabilities during the reheating stage. We examine the inflationary phenomenology using power law monomial and exponential potentials. We further elaborate on the implications of the inflaton-modulated GNMDC and construct GNMDC terms that can amplify the power spectrum of primordial perturbation…
The Effective Field Theory (EFT) of Preheating with scalar fields, implies three types of derivative couplings between the inflaton and the reheating field. Two of these couplings lead to scales below which only one of the two species appear as the low energy modes. In this paper, the variety of low energy regimes in terms of the species they accommodate are explored by studying the scales introduced by the derivative couplings and the dispersion relations they lead to. It is noted that the EFT of two scalar fields can give rise to non-trivial sound speed for both the inflation and reheating s…
We propose a scenario of spontaneous leptogenesis in Higgs inflation with help from two additional operators: the Weinberg operator (Dim 5) and the derivative coupling of the Higgs field and the current of lepton number (Dim 6). The former is responsible for lepton number violation and the latter induces chemical potential for lepton number. The period of rapidly changing Higgs field, naturally realized in Higgs inflation during the reheating, allows large enhancement in the produced asymmetry in lepton number, which is eventually converted into baryon asymmetry of the universe. This scenario …
