Constraining SUSY GUTs and Inflation with Cosmology

In the framework of Supersymmetric Grand Unified Theories (SUSY GUTs), the universe undergoes a cascade of symmetry breakings, during which topological defects can be formed. We address the question of the probability of cosmic string formation after a phase of hybrid inflation within a large number of models of SUSY GUTs in agreement with particle and cosmological data. We show that cosmic strings are extremely generic and should be used to relate cosmology and high energy physics. This conclusion is employed together with the WMAP CMB data to strongly constrain SUSY hybrid inflation models. F-term and D-term inflation are studied in the SUSY and minimal SUGRA framework. They are both found to agree with data but suffer from fine tuning of their superpotential coupling (\lambda \lesssim 3\times 10^(-5) or less). Mass scales of inflation are also constrained to be less than M \lesssim 3\times 10^(15) GeV.Comment: Based on talks given by J. Rocher at the "IAP Colloquium", Paris in july 2004, at "COSMO 04", Toronto in September 2004, at the Workshop "Quest For Unification", CERN in December 2004 and at the "Einstein's Century Meeting", Paris in june 2005. To appear in the Proceedings of the "Einstein's Century Meeting", Ed. J.-M. Alimi, A. Furzfa, AIP, Paris (2006

DD-term inflation, cosmic strings, and consistency with cosmic microwave background measurement

Standard D-term inflation is studied in the framework of supergravity. D-term inflation produces cosmic strings, however it can still be compatible with CMB measurements without invoking any new physics. The cosmic strings contribution to the CMB data is not constant, nor dominant, contrary to some previous results. Using current CMB measurements, the free parameters (gauge and superpotential couplings, as well as the Fayet-Iliopoulos term) of D-term inflation are constrained.Comment: 1 Latex file and 3 figures. accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

Avoiding the blue spectrum and the fine-tuning of initial conditions in hybrid inflation

Hybrid inflation faces two well-known problems: the blue spectrum of the non-supersymmetric version of the model and the fine-tuning of the initial conditions of the fields leading to sufficient inflation to account for the standard cosmological problems. They are investigated by studying the exact two-fields dynamics instead of assuming slow-roll. When the field values are restricted to be less than the reduced Planck mass, a non-negligible part of the initial condition space (around 15% depending on potential parameters) leads to successful inflation. Most of it is located outside the usual inflationary valley and organized in continuous patterns instead of being isolated as previously found. Their existence is explained and their properties are studied. This shows that no excessive fine-tuning is required for successful hybrid inflation. Moreover, by extending the initial condition space to planckian-like or super-planckian values, inflation becomes generically sufficiently long and can produce a red-tilted scalar power spectrum due to slow-roll violations. The robustness of these properties is confirmed by conducting our analysis on three other models of hybrid-type inflation in various framework: "smooth" and "shifted" inflation in SUSY and SUGRA, and "radion assisted" gauge inflation. A high percentage of successful inflation for smooth hybrid inflation (up to 80%) is observed.Comment: 20 pages, 14 figures. Some refs added/updated. New results for Smooth and Shifted hybrid models. To appear in PR

Fractal initial conditions and natural parameter values in hybrid inflation

We show that the initial field values required to produce inflation in the two fields original hybrid model, and its supergravity F-term extension, do not suffer from any fine-tuning problem, even when the fields are restricted to be sub-planckian and for almost all potential parameter values. This is due to the existence of an initial slow-roll violating evolution which has been overlooked so far. Due to the attractor nature of the inflationary valley, these trajectories end up producing enough accelerated expansion of the universe. By numerically solving the full non-linear dynamics, we show that the set of such successful initial field values is connected, of dimension two and possesses a fractal boundary of infinite length exploring the whole field space. We then perform a Monte-Carlo-Markov-Chain analysis of the whole parameter space consisting of the initial field values, field velocities and potential parameters. We give the marginalised posterior probability distributions for each of these quantities such that the universe inflates long enough to solve the usual cosmological problems. Inflation in the original hybrid model and its supergravity version appears to be generic and more probable by starting outside of the inflationary valley. Finally, the implication of our findings in the context of the eternal inflationary scenario are discussed.Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures, uses RevTeX. Lyapunov exponents and references added, matches published versio

Probing inflation with CMB polarization : weak lensing effect on the covariance of CMB spectra

CMB anisotropies are modified by the weak lensing effect of intervening large scale structures on the photon path from the last scattering surface to the observer. This has to be accounted for when observational data of sensitive experiments are used to constrain cosmological models. A common approximation to analyze the CMB angular power spectra is to include only the Gaussian part of the lensing correction and to ignore the non-gaussian terms in the error covariance matrix of the spectra. In order to investigate the validity of this approximation, we computed these non-Gaussian terms by using a perturbative expansion method. We present a graphical method to write down any N-point correlation functions at any order in lensing. We use a pedagogical approach to demonstrate that neglecting non-gaussian terms is an accurate approximation for all polarizations but B, and it will remain so even for the analysis of very sensitive post-Planck experiments. For the B polarization, non-gaussian contributions up to order 4 must be taken into account.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figures, JCAP style. Improved to match published version : annex A expanded, references added, few minor correction

D-term inflation in non-minimal supergravity

D-term inflation is one of the most interesting and versatile models of inflation. It is possible to implement naturally D-term inflation within high energy physics, as for example SUSY GUTs, SUGRA, or string theories. D-term inflation avoids the $\eta$-problem, while in its standard form it always ends with the formation of cosmic strings. Given the recent three-year WMAP data on the cosmic microwave background temperature anisotropies, we examine whether D-term inflation can be successfully implemented in non-minimal supergravity theories. We show that for all our choices of K\"ahler potential, there exists a parameter space for which the predictions of D-term inflation are in agreement with the measurements. The cosmic string contribution on the measured temperature anisotropies is always dominant, unless the superpotential coupling constant is fine tuned; a result already obtained for D-term inflation within minimal supergravity. In conclusion, cosmic strings and their r\^ole in the angular power spectrum cannot be easily hidden by just considering a non-flat K\"ahler geometry.Comment: 29 pages, 9 figures; minor changes to match publihed versio

Constraints on Supersymmetric Grand Unified Theories from Cosmology

Within the context of SUSY GUTs, cosmic strings are generically formed at the end of hybrid inflation. However, the WMAP CMB measurements strongly constrain the possible cosmic strings contribution to the angular power spectrum of anisotropies. We investigate the parameter space of SUSY hybrid (F- and D- term) inflation, to get the conditions under which theoretical predictions are in agreement with data. The predictions of F-term inflation are in agreement with data, only if the superpotential coupling $\kappa$ is small. In particular, for SUSY SO(10), the upper bound is \kappa\lsim 7\times 10^{-7}. This fine tuning problem can be lifted if we employ the curvaton mechanism, in which case \kappa\lsim 8\times 10^{-3}; higher values are not allowed by the gravitino constraint. The constraint on $\kappa$ is equivalent to a constraint on the SSB mass scale $M$, namely M \lsim 2\times 10^{15} GeV. The study of D-term inflation shows that the inflaton field is of the order of the Planck scale; one should therefore consider SUGRA. We find that the cosmic strings contribution to the CMB anisotropies is not constant, but it is strongly dependent on the gauge coupling $g$ and on the superpotential coupling $\lambda$. We obtain g\lsim 2\times 10^{-2} and \lambda \lsim 3\times 10^{-5}. SUGRA corrections induce also a lower limit for $\lambda$. Equivalently, the Fayet-Iliopoulos term $\xi$ must satisfy \sqrt\xi \lsim 2\times 10^{15} GeV. This constraint holds for all allowed values of $g$.Comment: 32 pages, 7 figures. To match published versio

Testicular microlithiasis imaging and follow-up: guidelines of the ESUR scrotal imaging subcommittee

The subcommittee on scrotal imaging, appointed by the board of the European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR), have produced guidelines on imaging and follow-up in testicular microlithiasis (TML)

Sonography of Scrotal Wall Lesions and Correlation With Other Modalities

The scrotal wall may be involved in a variety of pathologic processes. Such lesions may rise primarily from the layers of the scrotum or may be due to a process arising from scrotal content. Imaging is not needed in most cases, but it may be useful for making such differentiations and for evaluation of possible involvement of the testes and epididymides in cases of primary wall abnormalities. This pictorial essay will show the imaging findings observed in a variety of pathologic conditions affecting the scrotal wall, both common and unusual ones, with an emphasis on clinically relevant findings and features that lead to a specific diagnosis