Non-Canonical Inflation in Supergravity

We investigate the effect of non-canonical kinetic terms on inflation in supergravity. We find that the biggest impact of such higher-derivative kinetic terms is due to the corrections to the potential that they induce via their effect on the auxiliary fields, which now have a cubic equation of motion. This is in contrast to the usual (non-supersymmetric) effective field theory expansion which assumes that mass-suppressed higher-derivative terms do not affect the lower-derivative terms already present. We demonstrate with several examples that such changes in the potential can significantly modify the inflationary dynamics. Our results have immediate implications for effective descriptions of inflation derived from string theory, where higher-derivative kinetic terms are generally present. In addition we elucidate the structure of the theory in the parameter range where there are three real solutions to the auxiliary field's equation of motion, studying the resulting three branches of the theory, and finding that one of them suffers from a singularity in the speed of propagation of fluctuations.Comment: 22 pages + Appendix, 16 figure

Initial Conditions for Non-Canonical Inflation

We investigate the dynamics of homogeneous phase space for single-field models of inflation. Inflationary trajectories are formally attractors in phase space, but since in practice not all initial conditions lead to them, some degree of fine tuning is required for successful inflation. We explore how the dynamics of non-canonical inflation, which has additional kinetic terms that are powers of the kinetic energy, can play a role in ameliorating the initial conditions fine tuning problem. We present a qualitative analysis of inflationary phase space based on the dynamical behavior of the scalar field. This allows us to construct the flow of trajectories, finding that trajectories generically decay towards the inflationary solution at a steeper angle for non-canonical kinetic terms, in comparison to canonical kinetic terms, so that a larger fraction of the initial-conditions space leads to inflation. Thus, non-canonical kinetic terms can be important for removing the initial conditions fine-tuning problem of some small-field inflation models.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figure

Attractive Lagrangians for Noncanonical Inflation

Treating inflation as an effective theory, we expect the effective Lagrangian to contain higher-dimensional kinetic operators suppressed by the scale of UV physics. When these operators are powers of the inflaton kinetic energy, the scalar field can support a period of noncanonical inflation which is smoothly connected to the usual slow-roll inflation. We show how to construct noncanonical inflationary solutions to the equations of motion for the first time, and demonstrate that noncanonical inflation is an attractor in phase space for all small- and large-field models. We identify some sufficient conditions on the functional form of the Lagrangian that lead to successful noncanonical inflation since not every Lagrangian with higher-dimensional kinetic operators can support noncanonical inflation. This extends the class of known viable Lagrangians and excludes many Lagrangians which do not work.Comment: 39 pages, 9 figures. v2. Fixed typos, added reference, small changes to examples; v3. Added discussion of field redefinitions, added references, matches published versio

On degenerate models of cosmic inflation

In this article we discuss the role of current and future CMB measurements in pinning down the model of inflation responsible for the generation of primordial curvature perturbations. By considering a parameterization of the effective field theory of inflation with a modified dispersion relation arising from heavy fields, we derive the dependence of cosmological observables on the scale of heavy physics $\Lambda_{\rm UV}$. Specifically, we show how the $f_{\rm NL}$ non-linearity parameters are related to the phase velocity of curvature perturbations at horizon exit, which is parameterized by $\Lambda_{\rm UV}$. Bicep2 and Planck findings are shown to be consistent with a value $\Lambda_{\rm UV} \sim \Lambda_{\rm GUT}$. However, we find a degeneracy in the parameter space of inflationary models that can only be resolved with a detailed knowledge of the shape of the non-Gaussian bispectrum.Comment: 22pp., 1 fig; v2: added some clarifications and references, corrected typos, matches published versio

Effective field theory of weakly coupled inflationary models

The application of Effective Field Theory (EFT) methods to inflation has taken a central role in our current understanding of the very early universe. The EFT perspective has been particularly useful in analyzing the self-interactions determining the evolution of co-moving curvature perturbations (Goldstone boson modes) and their influence on low-energy observables. However, the standard EFT formalism, to lowest order in spacetime differential operators, does not provide the most general parametrization of a theory that remains weakly coupled throughout the entire low-energy regime. Here we study the EFT formulation by including spacetime differential operators implying a scale dependence of the Goldstone boson self-interactions and its dispersion relation. These operators are shown to arise naturally from the low-energy interaction of the Goldstone boson with heavy fields that have been integrated out. We find that the EFT then stays weakly coupled all the way up to the cutoff scale at which ultraviolet degrees of freedom become operative. This opens up a regime of new physics where the dispersion relation is dominated by a quadratic dependence on the momentum \omega ~ p^2. In addition, provided that modes crossed the horizon within this energy range, the prediction of inflationary observables - including non-Gaussian signatures - are significantly affected by the new scales characterizing it.Comment: 36 pages, v2: references added, minor changes to match published versio

Studies in the field theory - quantum gravity correspondence

Master of Science - ScienceThe giant graviton part of the AdS/CFT dictionary is expanded from consideration of N = 4 super Yang-Mills theory with U(N) gauge group to the case of an SU(N) gauge group. Candidate duals to giant gravitons for the U(N) case were found by Corley, Jevicki and Ramgoolam [4] to be Schur polynomials of the Lie algebra. In this dissertation, computational generalisation of the U(N) result is achieved, and a set of linearly independent operators in one-to-one correspondence with the half-BPS representations of the SU(N) gauge theory given. These tools allow the rst elucidation of bulk and boundary degrees of freedom via the dual eld theory, exploiting the usefulness of giant gravitons as probes of the geometry

de Sitter Vacua in Type IIB String Theory: Classical Solutions and Quantum Corrections

We revisit the classical theory of ten-dimensional two-derivative gravity coupled to fluxes, scalar fields, D-branes, anti D-branes and Orientifold-planes. We show that such set-ups do not give rise to a four-dimensional positive curvature spacetime with the isometries of de Sitter spacetime. We further argue that a de Sitter solution in type IIB theory may still be achieved if the higher-order curvature corrections are carefully controlled. Our analysis relies on the derivation of the de Sitter condition from an explicit background solution by going beyond the supergravity limit of type IIB theory. As such this also tells us how the background supersymmetry should be broken and under what conditions D-term uplifting can be realized with non self-dual fluxes.Comment: 44 pages, pdfLaTex; v2: Arguments in sec 3.2 more streamlined, figure removed, discussions on quantum corrections elaborated, typos corrected and references added; v3: Improved discussions on the O-planes contributions. Conclusions unchanged. Final version to appear in JHE

Magnetic Fields from Heterotic Cosmic Strings

Large-scale magnetic fields are observed today to be coherent on galactic scales. While there exists an explanation for their amplification and their specific configuration in spiral galaxies -- the dynamo mechanism -- a satisfying explanation for the original seed fields required is still lacking. Cosmic strings are compelling candidates because of their scaling properties, which would guarantee the coherence on cosmological scales of any resultant magnetic fields at the time of galaxy formation. We present a mechanism for the production of primordial seed magnetic fields from heterotic cosmic strings arising from M theory. More specifically, we make use of heterotic cosmic strings stemming from M5--branes wrapped around four of the compact internal dimensions. These objects are stable on cosmological time scales and carry charged zero modes. Therefore a scaling solution of such defects will generate seed magnetic fields which are coherent on galactic scales today.Comment: 19 pages, 2 .eps figures, PRD forma