Mutated hybrid inflation in f(R,□R)f(R,{\Box}R)-gravity

A new hybrid inflationary scenario in the context of $f(R,{\Box}R)$-gravity is proposed. Demanding the waterfall field to 'support the potential from below' [unlike the original proposal by Stewart in Phys. Lett. B345, 414 (1995)], we demonstrate that the scalar potential is similar to that of the large-field chaotic inflation model proposed by Linde in Phys. Lett. B129, 177 (1983). Inflationary observables are used to constrain the parameter space of our model; in the process, an interesting limit on the number of e-folds N is found.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX2e, v2: Sec.3 expanded and improved, 1 Fig. added, a new result included, some Eqs. corrected, 2 References adde

Alternative High-z Cosmic Tracers and the Dark Energy Equation of State

We propose to use alternative cosmic tracers to measure the dark energy equation of state and the matter content of the Universe [w(z) & \Omega_m]. Our proposed method consists of two components: (a) tracing the Hubble relation using HII-like starburst galaxies, as an alternative to SNIa, which can be detected up to very large redshifts, z~4, and (b) measuring the clustering pattern of X-ray selected AGN at a median redshift of ~1. Each component of the method can in itself provide interesting constraints on the cosmological parameters, especially under our anticipation that we will reduce the corresponding random and systematic errors significantly. However, by joining their likelihood functions we will be able to put stringent cosmological constraints and break the known degeneracies between the dark energy equation of state (whether it is constant or variable) and the matter content of the universe and provide a powerful and alternative rute to measure the contribution to the global dynamics, and the equation of state, of dark energy. A preliminary joint analysis of X-ray selected AGN (based on a small XMM survey) and the currently largest SNIa sample (Kowalski et al 2008), provides: Omega_m=0.28^{+0.02}_{-0.04} and w=-1.0 +-0.1.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, to appear in JOP, proceedings of the "Recent Developments in Gravity, NEB XIII" conference, held in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece, 4-6 June 200