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At least 991 records · Page 55
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DOE OSTI2014

Quantifying the 'naturalness' of the curvaton model

We investigate the probability of obtaining an observable curvature perturbation, using as an example the minimal curvaton-higgs (MCH) model. We determine ''probably observable'' and ''probably excluded'' regions of parameter space assuming generic initial conditions and applying a stochastic approach for the curvaton's evolution during inflation. Inflation is assumed to last longer than the N{sub obs} ≅ 55 observable e-folds, and the total number of e-folds of inflation determines the particular ranges of parameters that are probable. For the MCH model, these ''probably observable'' regions always lie within the range 8 × 10{sup 4} GeV ≤ m{sub σ} ≤ 2 × 10{sup 7} GeV, where m{sub σ} is the curvaton mass, and the Hubble scale at horizon exit is chosen as H{sub *} = 10{sup 10} GeV. Because the ''probably observable'' region depends on the total duration of inflation, information on parameters in the Lagrangian from particle physics and from precision CMB observations can therefore provide information about the total duration of inflation, not just the last N{sub obs} e-folds. This method could also be applied to any model that contains additional scalar fields to determine the probability that these scalar fields contribute to the curvature perturbation.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Dynamical axion misalignment with small instantons

We present a new mechanism to relax the initial misalignment angle of the QCD axion and raise the cosmological bound on the axion decay constant. The QCD axion receives a contribution from small UV instantons during inflation, which raises its mass to the inflationary Hubble scale. This makes the axion start rolling down its potential early on. In the scenario, the standard model Yukawa couplings of quarks are dynamical, being of order one during the inflationary era and reducing to their standard model values once it ends. This means that after inflation the contribution of the small instantons is suppressed, and the axion potential reduces to the standard one from the usual IR instantons. As a result, when the axion starts to oscillate again after inflation, the initial misalignment angle is suppressed due to the dynamics during inflation. While the general idea of dynamical axion misalignment has been discussed in the literature before, we present in detail the major bottleneck on the mismatching between the minima of the axion potentials during and after inflation, and how it is circumvented in our scenario via the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism. Taking into account of all the constraints, we find that the axion decay constant could be raised to the GUT scale, 10 15 GeV, in our scenario.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2012

PROBING THE INFLATON: SMALL-SCALE POWER SPECTRUM CONSTRAINTS FROM MEASUREMENTS OF THE COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND ENERGY SPECTRUM

In the early universe, energy stored in small-scale density perturbations is quickly dissipated by Silk damping, a process that inevitably generates {mu}- and y-type spectral distortions of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). These spectral distortions depend on the shape and amplitude of the primordial power spectrum at wavenumbers k {approx}< 10{sup 4} Mpc{sup -1}. Here, we study constraints on the primordial power spectrum derived from COBE/FIRAS and forecasted for PIXIE. We show that measurements of {mu} and y impose strong bounds on the integrated small-scale power, and we demonstrate how to compute these constraints using k-space window functions that account for the effects of thermalization and dissipation physics. We show that COBE/FIRAS places a robust upper limit on the amplitude of the small-scale power spectrum. This limit is about three orders of magnitude stronger than the one derived from primordial black holes in the same scale range. Furthermore, this limit could be improved by another three orders of magnitude with PIXIE, potentially opening up a new window to early universe physics. To illustrate the power of these constraints, we consider several generic models for the small-scale power spectrum predicted by different inflation scenarios, including running-mass inflation models and inflation scenarios with episodes of particle production. PIXIE could place very tight constraints on these scenarios, potentially even ruling out running-mass inflation models if no distortion is detected. We also show that inflation models with sub-Planckian field excursion that generate detectable tensor perturbations should simultaneously produce a large CMB spectral distortion, a link that could potentially be established with PIXIE.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Reheating constraints in inflationary magnetogenesis

Among primordial magnetogenesis models, inflation is a prime candidate to explain the current existence of cosmological magnetic fields. Assuming conformal invariance to be restored after inflation, their energy density decreases as radiation during the decelerating eras of the universe, and in particular during reheating. Without making any assumptions on inflation, on the magnetogenesis mechanism and on how the reheating proceeded, we show that requiring large scale magnetic fields to remain subdominant after inflation gives non-trivial constraints on both the reheating equation of state parameter and the reheating energy scale. In terms of the so-called reheating parameter, we find that ln R{sub rad} > −10.1 for large scale magnetic fields of the order 5 × 10{sup −15} Gauss today. This bound is then compared to those already derived from Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) data by assuming a specific inflationary model. Avoiding magnetic field backreaction is always complementary to CMB and can give more stringent limits on reheating for all high energy models of inflation. For instance, a large field matter dominated reheating cannot take place at an energy scale lower than typically 500 GeV if the magnetic field strength today is B{sub 0} = 5 × 10{sup −15} G, this scale going up to 10{sup 10} GeV if B{sub 0} = 10{sup −9} G.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Signatures of anisotropic sources in the squeezed-limit bispectrum of the cosmic microwave background

The bispectrum of primordial curvature perturbations in the squeezed configuration, in which one wavenumber, k{sub 3}, is much smaller than the other two, k{sub 3} << k{sub 1} ≈ k{sub 2}, plays a special role in constraining the physics of inflation. In this paper we study a new phenomenological signature in the squeezed-limit bispectrum: namely, the amplitude of the squeezed-limit bispectrum depends on an angle between k{sub 1} and k{sub 3} such that B{sub ζ}(k{sub 1},k{sub 2},k{sub 3}) → 2Σ{sub L}c{sub L}P{sub L}( k-circumflex {sub 1}· k-circumflex {sub 3})P{sub ζ}(k{sub 1})P{sub ζ}(k{sub 3}), where P{sub L} are the Legendre polynomials. While c{sub 0} is related to the usual local-form f{sub NL} parameter as c{sub 0} = 6f{sub NL}/5, the higher-multipole coefficients, c{sub 1}, c{sub 2}, etc., have not been constrained by the data. Primordial curvature perturbations sourced by large-scale magnetic fields generate non-vanishing c{sub 0}, c{sub 1}, and c{sub 2}. Inflation models whose action contains a term like I(φ){sup 2}F{sup 2} generate c{sub 2} = c{sub 0}/2. A recently proposed ''solid inflation'' model generates c{sub 2} >> c{sub 0}. A cosmic-variance-limited experiment measuring temperature anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background up to l{sub max} = 2000 is able to measure these coefficients down to δc{sub 0} = 4.4, δc{sub 1} = 61, and δc{sub 2} = 13 (68% CL). We also find that c{sub 0} and c{sub 1}, and c{sub 0} and c{sub 2}, are nearly uncorrelated. Measurements of these coefficients will open up a new window into the physics of inflation such as the existence of vector fields during inflation or non-trivial symmetry structure of inflaton fields. Finally, we show that the original form of the Suyama-Yamaguchi inequality does not apply to the case involving higher-spin fields, but a generalized form does.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A non-Gaussian landscape

Primordial perturbations with wavelengths greater than the observable universe shift the effective background fields in our observable patch from their global averages over the inflating space. This leads to a landscape picture where the properties of our observable patch depend on its location and may significantly differ from the expectation values predicted by the underlying fundamental inflationary model. We show that if multiple fields are present during inflation, this may happen even if our horizon exit would be preceded by only a few e-foldings of inflation. Non-Gaussian statistics are especially affected: for example models of local non-Gaussianity predicting |f{sub NL}{sup 0}| >> 10 over the entire inflating volume can have a probability up to a few tens of percent to generate a non-detectable bispectrum in our observable patch |f{sub NL}{sup obs.}|∼<10. In this work we establish systematic connections between the observable local properties of primordial perturbations and the global properties of the inflating space which reflect the underlying high energy physics. We study in detail the implications of both a detection and non-detection of primordial non-Gaussianity by Planck, and discover novel ways of characterising the naturalness of different observational configurations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Warming up for Planck

The recent Planck results and future releases on the horizon present a key opportunity to address a fundamental question in inflationary cosmology of whether primordial density perturbations have a quantum or thermal origin, i.e. whether particle production may have significant effects during inflation. Warm inflation provides a natural arena to address this issue, with interactions between the scalar inflaton and other degrees of freedom leading to dissipative entropy production and associated thermal fluctuations. In this context, we present relations between CMB observables that can be directly tested against observational data. In particular, we show that the presence of a thermal bath warmer than the Hubble scale during inflation decreases the tensor-to-scalar ratio with respect to the conventional prediction in supercooled inflation, yielding r < 8|n{sub t}|, where n{sub t} is the tensor spectral index. Focusing on supersymmetric models at low temperatures, we determine consistency relations between the observables characterizing the spectrum of adiabatic scalar and tensor modes, both for generic potentials and particular canonical examples, and which we compare with the WMAP and Planck results. Finally, we include the possibility of producing the observed baryon asymmetry during inflation through dissipative effects, thereby generating baryon isocurvature modes that can be easily accommodated by the Planck data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Inflationary magnetogenesis without the strong coupling problem

The simplest gauge invariant models of inflationary magnetogenesis are known to suffer from the problems of either large backreaction or strong coupling, which make it difficult to self-consistently achieve cosmic magnetic fields from inflation with a field strength larger than 10{sup −32}G today on the Mpc scale. Such a strength is insufficient to act as seed for the galactic dynamo effect, which requires a magnetic field larger than 10{sup −20}G. In this paper we analyze simple extensions of the minimal model, which avoid both the strong coupling and back reaction problems, in order to generate sufficiently large magnetic fields on the Mpc scale today. First we study the possibility that the coupling function which breaks the conformal invariance of electromagnetism is non-monotonic with sharp features. Subsequently, we consider the effect of lowering the energy scale of inflation jointly with a scenario of prolonged reheating where the universe is dominated by a stiff fluid for a short period after inflation. In the latter case, a systematic study shows upper bounds for the magnetic field strength today on the Mpc scale of 10{sup −13}G for low scale inflation and 10{sup −25}G for high scale inflation, thus improving on the previous result by 7-19 orders of magnitude. These results are consistent with the strong coupling and backreaction constraints.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Mixed inflaton and spectator field models after Planck

We investigate the possibility that the primordial perturbation has two sources: the inflaton and a spectator field, which is not dynamically important during inflation but which after inflation can contribute to the curvature perturbation. We derive the constraints on the model by using recent Planck results on the spectral index, tensor-to-scalar ratio and nonlinearity parameters f{sub NL} and τ{sub NL} for the cases with and without specifying the inflation and spectator models. If one chooses the spectator to be the curvaton with a quadratic potential, non-Gaussianities can be computed and imply restrictions on possible values of the ratio of the spectator-to-inflaton power R. We also consider a mixed curvaton and chaotic inflation model and show that even quartic chaotic inflation is still feasible in the context of mixed models even with Planck data.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Domain wall and isocurvature perturbation problems in axion models

Axion models have two serious cosmological problems, domain wall and isocurvature perturbation problems. In order to solve these problems we investigate the Linde's model in which the field value of the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) scalar is large during inflation. In this model the fluctuations of the PQ field grow after inflation through the parametric resonance and stable axionic strings may be produced, which results in the domain wall problem. We study formation of axionic strings using lattice simulations. It is found that in chaotic inflation the axion model is free from both the domain wall and the isocurvature perturbation problems if the initial misalignment angle θ{sub a} is smaller than O(10{sup −2}). Furthermore, axions can also account for the dark matter for the breaking scale v ≅ 10{sup 12−16} GeV and the Hubble parameter during inflation H{sub inf}∼<10{sup 11−12} GeV in general inflation models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

The ALP miracle: unified inflaton and dark matter

We propose a scenario where both inflation and dark matter are described by a single axion-like particle (ALP) in a unified manner. In a class of the minimal axion hilltop inflation, the effective masses at the maximum and mimimum of the potential have equal magnitude but opposite sign, so that the ALP inflaton is light both during inflation and in the true vacuum. After inflation, most of the ALPs decay and evaporate into plasma through a coupling to photons, and the remaining ones become dark matter. We find that the observed CMB and matter power spectrum as well as the dark matter abundance point to an ALP of mass m {sub φ} = O(0.01) eV and the axion-photon coupling g {sub φ} {sub γ} {sub γ} = O(10{sup −11}) GeV{sup −1}: the ALP miracle . The suggested parameter region is within the reach of the next generation axion helioscope, IAXO, and high-intensity laser experiments in the future. Furthermore, thermalized ALPs contribute to hot dark matter and its abundance is given in terms of the effective number of extra neutrino species, Δ N {sub eff} ≅ 0.03, which can be tested by the future CMB and BAO observations. We also discuss a case with multiple ALPs, where the coupling to photons can be enhanced in the early Universe by an order of magnitude or more, which enlarges the parameter space for the ALP miracle. The heavy ALP plays a role of the waterfall field in hybrid inflation, and reheats the Universe, and it can be searched for in various experiments such as SHiP.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

The stochastic spectator

We study the stochastic distribution of spectator fields predicted in different slow-roll inflation backgrounds. Spectator fields have a negligible energy density during inflation but may play an important dynamical role later, even giving rise to primordial density perturbations within our observational horizon today. During de-Sitter expansion there is an equilibrium solution for the spectator field which is often used to estimate the stochastic distribution during slow-roll inflation. However slow roll only requires that the Hubble rate varies slowly compared to the Hubble time, while the time taken for the stochastic distribution to evolve to the de-Sitter equilibrium solution can be much longer than a Hubble time. We study both chaotic (monomial) and plateau inflaton potentials, with quadratic, quartic and axionic spectator fields. We give an adiabaticity condition for the spectator field distribution to relax to the de-Sitter equilibrium, and find that the de-Sitter approximation is never a reliable estimate for the typical distribution at the end of inflation for a quadratic spectator during monomial inflation. The existence of an adiabatic regime at early times can erase the dependence on initial conditions of the final distribution of field values. In these cases, spectator fields acquire sub-Planckian expectation values. Otherwise spectator fields may acquire much larger field displacements than suggested by the de-Sitter equilibrium solution. We quantify the information about initial conditions that can be obtained from the final field distribution. Our results may have important consequences for the viability of spectator models for the origin of structure, such as the simplest curvaton models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Inflationary non-Gaussianities in the most general second-order scalar-tensor theories

For very general scalar-field theories in which the equations of motion are at second order, we evaluate the three-point correlation function of primordial scalar perturbations generated during inflation. We show that the shape of non-Gaussianities is well approximated by the equilateral type. The equilateral nonlinear parameter f{sub NL}{sup equil} is derived on the quasi-de Sitter background, where the slow-variation parameters are much smaller than unity. We apply our formula for f{sub NL}{sup equil} to a number of single-field models of inflation--such as k-inflation, k-inflation with Galileon terms, potential-driven Galileon inflation, nonminimal coupling models (including field-derivative coupling models), and Gauss-Bonnet gravity.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-J-145: MRI-Guided Interventional Boost Radiotherapy for Rectal Cancer: Investigating the Feasibility of Adapting the Anatomy

Purpose: The recent development of an MRI-linac allows adaptation of treatments to the anatomy of the moment. This anatomy, in turn, could be altered into a more favorable situation for radiotherapy purposes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential dosimetric benefits of manipulating rectal anatomy in MRI-guided interventional external-beam radiotherapy for rectal cancer. Methods: For this retrospective analysis, four patients (1M/3F) diagnosed with rectal cancer were included. These underwent MR-imaging using sonography transmission gel as endorectal contrast at time of diagnosis and standard, non-contrast, MR-imaging prior to radiotherapy planning. In the contrast scan, the rectum is inflated by the inserted contrast gel, thereby potentially increasing the distance between tumor and the organs-at-risk (OAR). Both anatomies were delineated and 7- beam IMRT-plans were calculated for both situations (RT-standard and RT-inflated), using in-house developed treatment planning software. Each plan was aimed to deliver 15Gy to the planning target volume (PTV; tumor+3mm margin) with a D99>95% and Dmax<120% of the planned dose. The D2cc dose to the OAR were then compared for both situations. Results: At equal (or better) target coverage, we found a mean reduction in D2cc of 4.1Gy/237% [range 2.6Gy–6.3Gy/70%–621%] for the bladder and of 2.0Gy/145% [range −0.7Gy–7.9Gy/−73%–442%] for the small-bowel, for the RT-inflated compared to the RT-standard plans. For the three female patients, a reduction in D2cc of 5.2Gy/191% [range 3.2Gy–9.2Gy/44%–475%] for the gynecological organs was found. We found all D2cc doses to be better for the RT-inflated plans, except for one patient for whom the bladder D2cc dose was slightly increased. Conclusion: Reduction of OAR dose by manipulation of anatomy is feasible. Inflation of the rectum results in more distance between OAR and PTV. This leads to a substantial reduction in dose to OAR at equal or better target coverage.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Single-field α-attractors

I describe a simple class of α-attractors, generalizing the single-field GL model of inflation in supergravity. The new class of models is defined for 0<α≲1, providing a good match to the present cosmological data. I also present a generalized version of these models which can describe not only inflation but also dark energy and supersymmetry breaking.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Gravitational effects on inflaton decay

We point out that the inflaton inevitably couples to all non-conformally coupled matters gravitationally through an oscillation in the Hubble parameter or the cosmic scale factor. It leads to particle production during the inflaton oscillation regime, which is most efficient just after inflation. Moreover, the analysis is extended to the model with non-minimal inflaton couplings to gravity, in which the Hubble parameter oscillates more violently. We apply our results to the graviton production by the inflaton: gravitons are also produced just after inflation, but the non-minimal coupling does not induce inflaton decay into the graviton pair.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Constraining inflationary dark matter in the luminogenesis model

Using renormalization-group flow and cosmological constraints on inflation models, we exploit a unique connection between cosmological inflation and the dynamical mass of dark matter particles in the luminogenesis model, a unification model with the gauge group SU(3){sub C}×SU(6)×U(1){sub Y}, which breaks to the Standard Model with an extra gauge group for dark matter when the inflaton rolls into the true vacuum. In this model, inflaton decay gives rise to dark matter, which in turn decays to luminous matter in the right proportion that agrees with cosmological data. Some attractive features of this model include self-interacting dark matter, which may resolve the problems of dwarf galaxy structures and dark matter cusps at the centers of galaxies.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Chromo-natural model in anisotropic background

In this work we study the chromo-natural inflation model in the anisotropic setup. Initiating inflation from Bianchi type-I cosmology, we analyze the system thoroughly during the slow-roll inflation, from both analytical and numerical points of view. We show that the isotropic FRW inflation is an attractor of the system. In other words, anisotropies are damped within few e-folds and the chromo-natural model respects the cosmic no-hair conjecture. Furthermore, we demonstrate that in the slow-roll limit, the anisotropies in both chromo-natural and gauge-flation models share the same dynamics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗