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 a flat Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker universe in general can be divided into three different phases: the pre-inflationary quantum phase, quantum-to-classical transition, and the slow-roll inflation. The pre-inflationary dynamics are dominated by the quantum geometry effects of loop quantum Brans-Dicke cosmology and the corresponding Universe could be either initially expanding or contracting, depending on the initial velocity of inflaton field. It is shown that the detailed evolution of pre-inflationary quantum phase also depend on specific inflation models. After the pre-inflationary quantum phase, the universe gradually evolves into the slow-roll inflation with some of initial conditions for Starobinsky and $α$-attractor potentials. In addition, to be consistent with observational data, we also find the restricted parameter space of initial conditions that could produce at least $60$ $e$-folds during the slow-roll inflation.
We discuss how Starobinsky-like inflation may emerge from dilaton dynamics in brane cosmology scenarios based on string theory, in which our universe is represented as a three-brane. The effective potential may acquire a constant term from a density of effectively point-like non-pertubative defects on the brane. Higher-genus corrections generate corrections to the effective potential that are exponentially damped at large field values, as in the Starobinsky model, but at a faster rate, leading to a smaller prediction for the tensor-to scalar perturbation ratio r. This may be compensated partia…
The first inflationary model conceived was the one proposed by Starobinsky which includes an additional term quadratic in the Ricci-scalar R in the Einstein-Hilbert action. The model is now considered a target for several future cosmic microwave background experiments given its compatibility with current observational data. In this paper, we analyse the robustness of the Starobinsky inflation by inserting it into a generalized scenario based on a $β$-Starobinsky inflation potential, which is motivated through brane inflation. In the Einstein frame, the generalized model recovers the original m…
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 show that the universal $α$-attractor models of inflation can be realized by including an auxiliary vector field $A_μ$ for the Starobinsky model with the Lagrangian $f(R)=R+R^2/(6M^2)$. If the same procedure is applied to general modified $f(R)$ theories in which the Ricci scalar $R$ is replaced by $R+A_μ A^μ+β\nabla_μA^μ$ with constant $β$, we obtain the Brans-Dicke theory with a scalar potential and the Brans-Dicke parameter $ω_{\rm BD}=β^2/4$. We also place observational constraints on inflationary models based on auxiliary vector modified $f(R)$ theories from the latest Planck measureme…
In canonical scalar field inflation, the Starobinsky model (with a linear potential but discontinuous slope) is remarkable in that though slow-roll is violated, both the power-spectrum and bi-spectrum can be calculated exactly analytically. The two-point function is characterised by different power on large and small scales, and a burst of small amplitude superimposed oscillations in between. Motivated by string-theory models with stuck branes, we extend this analysis to Dirac Born Infeld (DBI) inflation, for which generalised slow-roll is violated at the discontinuity and a rapid variation in…
In the present letter we find that Starobinsky's inflationary solution is also valid in the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (DGP) model where a 3-brane is embedded in 5-dimensional Minkowski bulk. We show that such a solution is typically not supported by the Self-Accelerated branch of the model, giving therefore a natural selection of the conventional branch of solutions. In the absence of brane induced Einstein-Hilbert term the SA branch is always selected out. We then study the linearized modes around all such de Sitter brane solutions finding perturbative stability for a range of parameters of the…
In Cuzinatto et al. [Phys. Rev. D 93, 124034 (2016)], it has been demonstrated that theories of gravity in which the Lagrangian includes terms depending on the scalar curvature $R$ and its derivatives up to order $n$, i.e. $f\left(R,\nabla_μR,\nabla_{μ_{1}}\nabla_{μ_{2}}R,\dots,\nabla_{μ_{1}}\dots\nabla_{μ_{n}}R\right)$ theories of gravity, are equivalent to scalar-multitensorial theories in the Jordan frame. In particular, in the metric and Palatini formalisms, this scalar-multitensorial equivalent scenario shows a structure that resembles that of the Brans-Dicke theories with a kinetic term …
In this work we study the cosmological attractor models of inflation in connection with certain scalar-tensor theories of gravity, e.g $f(R)$ gravity and Brans-Dicke theory. For some particular choices of the functional degrees of freedom in these theories, one obtains Starobinsky like predictions in the ($n_s$-$r$) observable plane. We have demonstrated that these choices in the Lagrangian density of certain $f(R)$ and Brans-Dicke theories fulfil the condition of the cosmological attractors. That explains why known predictions of $f(R)$ and Brans-Dicke theories in certain cases appear to be t…
We examine some inflationary models based on modifications of gravity in the light of Planck 2015 data, such as the generalised Chaplygin inspired inflation, models based in $N=1$ supergravity and braneworld scenarios. We also show that, conversely, potentials with a very flat plateau yield a primordial spectrum similar to that of the Starobinsky model with no need to modify general relativity.
Inflationary paradigm has several issues, such as the pre-inflationary horizon problem or the eternal inflation. To avoid that the standard Starobinsky inflation has been extended to $R + αR^n$ and $R + αR^n -δR^{2-n}$ models as well as Brans-Dicke generalisation of those $f(R)$ models. The region of the parameter space, which provides consistency with PLANCK data and lack of eternal inflation has been founded. The Einstein frame potential has a stable minimum with non-zero vacuum energy, which may be a source of dark energy.
No-scale Brans-Dicke Gravity -- ultralight scalar boson & heavy inflaton
The University of Tokyo（东京大学）；Kavli IPMU (WPI), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo（东京大学 Kavli宇宙起源研究中心）；KEK（高能加速器研究机构）；Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Sokendai)（综合研究大学院大学）；Tsung-Dao Lee Institute & School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University（上海交通大学物理与天文学院 紫江研究院）
Recently the background independent nonperturbative quantization technique has been extended to theories of gravity and the corresponding quantum effective cosmology has been derived, which provides us with necessary avenue to explore the pre-inflationary dynamics. Brans-Dicke loop quantum cosmology (BDLQC) is one such theory whose effective background dynamics is considered in this article. Starting with a quantum bounce, we explore the pre-inflationary dynamics of a universe sourced by a scalar field with the Starobinsky potential in BDLQC. Our study is based on the idea that though Einstein…
In this paper, by establishing a Brans-Dicke (BD) cosmology by means of a deformed phase space, in the absence of any scalar potential, cosmological constant and ordinary matter, we show that it is feasible to overcome obstacles reported in the corresponding commutative (non-deformed) frameworks. More concretely, by applying the Hamiltonian formalism and introducing a dynamical deformation, between the momenta associated to the FLRW scale factor and the BD scalar field, we obtain the modified equations of motion. In particular, these equations reduce to their standard counterparts when the non…
We place observational constraints on slow-variation single-field inflationary models by carrying out the cosmological Monte Carlo simulation with the recent data of Planck combined with the WMAP large-angle polarization, baryon acoustic oscillations, and ACT/SPT temperature data. Our analysis covers a wide variety of models with second-order equations of motion-- including potential-driven slow-roll inflation, non-minimally coupled models, running kinetic couplings, Brans-Dicke theories, potential-driven Galileon inflation, field-derivative couplings to the Einstein tensor, and k-inflation. I…
We discuss N=1 supergravity inflationary models based on two chiral multiplets, the inflaton and the goldstino superfield. Using superconformal methods for these models, we propose to replace the unconstrained chiral goldstino multiplet by the nilpotent one associated with non-linearly realized supersymmetry of the Volkov-Akulov type. In the new cosmological models, the sgoldstino is proportional to a bilinear combination of fermionic goldstinos. It does not acquire any vev, does nor require stabilization, and does not affect the cosmological evolution. We explain a universal relation of these…
What new physics can we extract from inflation using the ACT DR6 and DESI DR2 Observations?
SGT University（SGT大学）；Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw（华沙大学物理学院理论物理研究所）；Center for Theoretical Physics, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University（L.N. 古米廖夫欧亚国立大学理论物理中心）；B.M.S. College of Engineering（B.M.S.工程学院）
