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Geometrical Destabilization of Inflation
Sébastien Renaux-Petel1, Krzysztof Turzyński2
1Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, UMR-7095 du CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 98 bis bd Arago, 75014 Paris, France, and Sorbonne Universités, Institut Lagrange de Paris, 98 bis bd Arago, 75014 Paris, France.
Physical Review Letters
|October 15, 2016
Summary
Heavy scalar fields can become unstable during cosmic inflation due to field space curvature, prematurely ending inflation. This destabilization has significant observational consequences and impacts fundamental physics interpretations.
Area of Science:
- Cosmology
- Theoretical Physics
- Particle Physics
Background:
- Cosmic inflation is a key period of rapid expansion in the early universe.
- Scalar fields are fundamental to many inflationary models.
- The stability of scalar fields during inflation is crucial for model viability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify a general mechanism destabilizing heavy scalar fields during inflation.
- To explore the role of field space geometry in inflationary dynamics.
- To analyze the observational consequences of such destabilization.
Main Methods:
- Investigating the interplay between field space curvature and potential forces.
- Analyzing a universal setup involving higher-order operators.
- Examining the impact on inflationary trajectories and duration.
Main Results:
- A general mechanism for heavy scalar field destabilization during inflation is demonstrated.
- Field space curvature can overcome potential stabilization, leading to instability.
- Higher-order operators, suppressed by a large energy scale, can trigger this instability.
Conclusions:
- Prematurely ending inflation due to geometric destabilization has significant observational consequences.
- This phenomenon can exclude otherwise viable inflationary models.
- It modifies the interpretation of cosmological constraints and provides selection criteria for inflationary models based on field space curvature.
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