Large Non-Gaussianity in Non-Minimally Coupled Derivative Inflation with Gauss-Bonnet Correction

We study a nonminimal derivative inflationary model in the presence of the Gauss-Bonnet term. To have a complete treatment of the model, we consider a general form of the nonminimal derivative function and also the Gauss-Bonnet coupling term. By following the ADM formalism, expanding the action up to the third order in the perturbations and using the correlation functions, we study the perturbation and its non-Gaussian feature in details. We also study the consistency relation that gets modified in the presence of the Gauss-Bonnet term in the action. We compare the results of our consideration in confrontation with Planck2015 observational data and find some constraints on the model's parameters. Our treatment shows that this model in some ranges of the parameters is consistent with the observational data. Also, in some ranges of model's parameters, the model predicts blue-tilted power spectrum. Finally, we show that nonminimal derivative model in the presence of the GB term has capability to have large non-Gaussianity.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in PR

Non-Minimal Braneworld Inflation after the Planck

The recently released Planck data have constrained 4-dimensional inflationary parameters even more accurately than ever. We consider an extension of the braneworld model with induced gravity and a non-minimally coupled scalar field on the brane. We constraint the inflation parameters in this setup, by adopting six types of potential, in confrontation with the joint Planck+WMAP9+BAO data. We show that a potential of the type $V(\varphi)=V_{0}\exp(-\beta\varphi)$ has the best fit with newly released observational data.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure

Perturbation, Non-Gaussianity and Reheating in a GB-α\alpha-Attractor Model

Motivated by $\alpha$-attractor models, in this paper we consider a Gauss-Bonnet inflation with E-model type of potential. We consider the Gauss-Bonnet coupling function to be the same as the E-model potential. In the small $\alpha$ limit we obtain an attractor at $r=0$ as expected, and in the large $\alpha$ limit we recover the Gauss-Bonnet model with potential and coupling function of the form $\phi^{2n}$. We study perturbations and non-Gaussianity in this setup and we find some constraints on the model's parameters in comparison with PLANCK datasets. We study also the reheating epoch after inflation in this setup. For this purpose, we seek the number of e-folds and temperature during reheating epoch. These quantities depend on the model's parameter and the effective equation of state of the dominating energy density in the reheating era. We find some observational constraints on these parameters.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, Revised version, to appear in PR

DBI inflation with a non-minimally coupled Gauss-Bonnet term

We study the inflation in a model with a Gauss-Bonnet term which is non-minimally coupled to a DBI field. We study the spectrum of the primordial perturbations in detail. The non-Gaussianity of this model is considered and the amplitude of the non-Gaussianity is studied in both the equilateral and orthogonal configurations. By taking various functions of the DBI field, inflaton potential and the Gauss-Bonnet coupling term, we test the model with observational data and find some constraints on the Gauss-Bonnet coupling parameter.Comment: 31 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Cosmological dynamics of a non-minimally coupled bulk scalar field in DGP setup

We consider cosmological dynamics of a canonical bulk scalar field, which is coupled non-minimally to 5-dimensional Ricci scalar in a DGP setup. We show that presence of this non-minimally coupled bulk scalar field affects the jump conditions of the original DGP model significantly. Within a superpotential approach, we perform some numerical analysis of the model parameter space and consider bulk-brane energy exchange in this setup. Also we show that the normal, ghost-free branch of the DGP solutions in this case has the potential to realize a self-consistent phantom-like behavior and therefore explains late time acceleration of the universe in a consistent way.Comment: 25 pages, Accepted for publication in Astrophyics and Space Scienc

Testing an Inflation Model with Nonminimal Derivative Coupling in the Light of PLANCK 2015 Data

We study the dynamics of a generalized inflationary model in which both the scalar field and its derivatives are coupled to the gravity. We consider a general form of the nonminimal derivative coupling in order to have a complete treatment of the model. By expanding the action up to the second order in perturbation, we study the spectrum of the primordial modes of the perturbations. Also, by expanding the action up to the third order and considering the three point correlation functions, the amplitude of the non-Gaussianity of the primordial perturbations is studied both in equilateral and orthogonal configurations. Finally, by adopting some sort of potentials, we compare the model at hand with the Planck 2015 released observational data and obtain some constraints on the model's parameters space. As an important result, we show that the nonminimal couplings help to make models of chaotic inflation, that would otherwise be in tension with Planck data, in better agreement with the data. This model is consistent with observation at weak coupling limit.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure

Tachyon field inflation in the light of BICEP2

We study tachyon field inflation in the light of the Planck+WMAP+BICEP2+BAO joint data. While the minimally coupled tachyon field inflation is consistent with the Planck2013 data, it is not confirmed by the Planck+WMAP+BICEP2+BAO dataset. However, a nonminimally coupled tachyon field inflation is consistent with this joint dataset.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, Accepted by PRD for Publicatio

Observational Status of Tachyon Natural Inflation and Reheating

We study observational viability of Natural Inflation with a tachyon field as inflaton. By obtaining the main perturbation parameters in this model, we perform a numerical analysis on the parameter space of the model and in confrontation with $68\%$ and $95\%$ CL regions of Planck2015 data. By adopting a warped background geometry, we find some new constraints on the width of the potential in terms of its height and the warp factor. We show that the Tachyon Natural Inflation in the large width limit recovers the tachyon model with a $\phi^{2}$ potential which is consistent with Planck2015 observational data. Then we focus on the reheating era after inflation by treating the number of e-folds, temperature and the effective equation of state parameter in this era. Since it is likely that the value of the effective equation of state parameter during the reheating era to be in the range $0\leq \omega_{eff}\leq \frac{1}{3}$, we obtain some new constraints on the tensor to scalar ratio as well as the e-folds number and reheating temperature in this Tachyon Natural Inflation model.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in JCA

Lowering the self-coupling of the scalar field in a generalized Higgs inflation

We study cosmological dynamics of a generalized Higgs inflation. By expanding the action up to the second and third order in the small perturbations, we study the primordial perturbation and its non-Gaussian distribution. We study the non-Gaussian feature in both the equilateral and orthogonal configurations. By adopting a quartic potential, we perform a numerical analysis on the model's parameter space and compare the results with Planck2015 observational data. To obtain some observational constraint, we focus on the self-coupling and the non-minimal coupling parameters. We show that, in the presence of the non-minimal coupling and the Galileon-like interaction, the self-coupling parameter can be reduced to the order of $10^{-6}$ which is much larger than the value that CMB normalization suggests for this self-coupling.Comment: 13 Pages, 4 Figure

Observational Viability of an Inflation Model with E-Model non-Minimal Derivative Coupling

By starting with a two-fields model in which the fields and their derivatives are nonminimally coupled to gravity, and then by using a conformal gauge, we obtain a model in which the derivatives of the canonically normalized field are nonminimally coupled to gravity. By adopting some appropriate functions, we study two cases with constant and E-model nonminimal derivative coupling, while the potential in both cases is chosen to be E-model one. We show that in contrary to the single field $\alpha$-attractor model that there is an attractor \textit{point} in the large $N$ and small $\alpha$ limits, in our setup and for both mentioned cases there is an attractor \emph{line} in these limits that the $r-n_{s}$ trajectories tend to. By studying the linear and nonlinear perturbations in this setup and comparing the numerical results with Planck2015 observational data, we obtain some constraints on the free parameter $\alpha$. We show that by considering the E-model potential and coupling function, the model is observationally viable for all values of $M$ (mass scale of the model). We use the observational constraints on the tensor-to-scalar ratio and the consistency relation to obtain some constraints on the sound speed of the perturbations in this model. As a result, we show that in a nonminimal derivative $\alpha$-attractor model, it is possible to have small sound speed and therefore large non-Gaussianity.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables, Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa