Supercriticality of a Class of Critical String Cosmological Solutions

For a class of Friedmann-Robertson-Walker type string solutions with compact hyperbolic spatial slices formulated in critical dimension, we find the world sheet conformal field theory which involves the linear dilaton and Wess-Zumino-Witten type model with the compact hyperbolic target space. By analyzing the infrared spectrum, we conclude that the theory is actually supercritical due to the modular invariance of string theory. Thus, taking into account previous results, we conclude that all the simple nontrivial string cosmological solutions are supercritical. A possible explanation of why we are living in D=4 is provided. The interesting relation of this background with the Supercritical String Cosmology (SSC) is pointed out

Natural Inflation with Natural Trans-Planckian Axion Decay Constant from Anomalous U(1)XU(1)_X

We propose a natural inflation model driven by an imaginary or axionic component of a K\"ahler modulus in string-inspired supergravity. The shift symmetry of the axion is gauged under an anomalous $U(1)_X$ symmetry, which leads to a modulus-dependent Fayet-Iliopoulos (FI) term. The matter fields are stabilized by F-terms, and the real component of the modulus is stabilized by the $U(1)_X$ D-term, while its axion remains light. Therefore, the masses of real and imaginary components of the modulus are separated at different scales. The scalar potential for natural inflation is realized by the superpotential from the non-perturbative effects. The trans-Planckian axion decay constant, which is needed to fit with BICEP2 observations, can be obtained naturally in this model.Comment: 14 pages, no figure, references added, version published in JHE

Aligned Natural Inflation and Moduli Stabilization from Anomalous U(1)U(1) Gauge Symmetries

To obtain natural inflation with large tensor-to-scalar ratio in string framework, we need a special moduli stabilization mechanism which can separate the masses of real and imaginary components of K\"ahler moduli at different scales, and achieve a trans-Planckian axion decay constant from sub-Planckian axion decay constants. In this work, we stabilize the matter fields by F-terms and the real components of K\"ahler moduli by D-terms of two anomalous $U(1)_X\times U(1)_A$ symmetries strongly at high scales, while the corresponding axions remain light due to their independence on the Fayet-Iliopoulos (FI) term in moduli stabilization. The racetrack-type axion superpotential is obtained from gaugino condensations of the hidden gauge symmetries $SU(n)\times SU(m)$ with massive matter fields in the bi-fundamental respresentations. The axion alignment via Kim-Nilles-Pelroso (KNP) mechanism corresponds to an approximate $S_2$ exchange symmetry of two K\"ahler moduli in our model, and a slightly $S_2$ symmetry breaking leads to the natural inflation with super-Planckian decay constant.Comment: 17 pages, no figur

Helical Phase Inflation via Non-Geometric Flux Compactifications: from Natural to Starobinsky-like Inflation

We show that a new class of helical phase inflation models can be simply realized in minimal supergravity, wherein the inflaton is the phase component of a complex field and its potential admits a deformed helicoid structure. We find a new unique complex-valued index $\chi$ that characterizes almost the entire region of the $n_s-r$ plane favored by new Planck observations. Continuously varying the index $\chi$, predictions interpolate from quadratic/natural inflation parameterized by a phase/axion decay constant to Starobinsky-like inflation parameterized by the $\alpha$-parameter. We demonstrate that the simple supergravity construction realizing Starobinsky-like inflation can be obtained from a more microscopic model by integrating out heavy fields, and that the flat phase direction for slow-roll inflation is protected by a mildly broken global $U(1)$ symmetry. %, which is mildly broken at the inflation energy scale. We study the geometrical origin of the index $\chi$, and find that it corresponds to a linear constraint relating \kah moduli. We argue that such a linear constraint is a natural result of moduli stabilization in Type \MyRoman{2} orientifold compactifications on Calabi-Yau threefolds with geometric and non-geometric fluxes. Possible choices for the index $\chi$ are discrete points on the complex plane that relate to the distribution of supersymmetric Minkowski vacua on moduli space. More precise observations of the inflationary epoch in the future may provide a better estimation of the index $\chi$. Since $\chi$ is determined by the fluxes and vacuum expectation values of complex structure moduli, such observations would characterize the geometry of the internal space as well.Comment: 26 pages, 4 figures; 4+1 figure, discussion on several energy scales added, references added, to appear in JHE

From R2R^2 Gravity to No-Scale Supergravity

We show that $R^2$ gravity coupled conformally to scalar fields is equivalent to the real bosonic sector of SU(N,1)/SU(N)$\times$U(1) no-scale supergravity, where the conformal factor can be identified with the K\"ahler potential, and we review the construction of Starobinsky-like models of inflation within this framework.Comment: 15 pages, version accepted for publicatio

Canonical Gauge Coupling Unification in the Standard Model with High-Scale Supersymmetry Breaking

Inspired by the string landscape and the unified gauge coupling relation in the F-theory Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) and GUTs with suitable high-dimensional operators, we study the canonical gauge coupling unification and Higgs boson mass in the Standard Model (SM) with high-scale supersymmetry breaking. In the SM with GUT-scale supersymmetry breaking, we achieve the gauge coupling unification at about 5.3 x 10^{13} GeV, and the Higgs boson mass is predicted to range from 130 GeV to 147 GeV. In the SM with supersymmetry breaking scale from 10^4 GeV to 5.3 x 10^{13} GeV, gauge coupling unification can always be realized and the corresponding GUT scale M_U is from 10^{16} GeV to 5.3 x 10^{13} GeV, respectively. Also, we obtain the Higgs boson mass from 114.4 GeV to 147 GeV. Moreover, the discrepancies among the SM gauge couplings at the GUT scale are less than about 4-6%. Furthermore, we present the SU(5) and SO(10) models from the F-theory model building and orbifold constructions, and show that we do not have the dimension-five and dimension-six proton decay problems even if M_U \le 5 x 10^{15} GeV.Comment: RevTex4, 16 pages, 5 figures, version to appear in JHE

Starobinsky-like Inflationary Models as Avatars of No-Scale Supergravity

Models of cosmological inflation resembling the Starobinsky R + R^2 model emerge naturally among the effective potentials derived from no-scale SU(N,1)/SU(N) x U(1) supergravity when N > 1. We display several examples in the SU(2,1)/SU(2) x U(1) case, in which the inflaton may be identified with either a modulus field or a matter field. We discuss how the modulus field may be stabilized in models in which a matter field plays the role of the inflaton. We also discuss models that generalize the Starobinsky model but display different relations between the tilt in the spectrum of scalar density perturbations, n_s, the tensor-to-scalar ratio, r, and the number of e-folds, N_*. Finally, we discuss how such models can be probed by present and future CMB experiments.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figure