The recent detection by the BICEP2 collaboration of a high level of tensor
modes seems to exclude the Starobinsky model of inflation. In this paper we
show that this conclusion can be avoided: one can embed the Starobinsky model
in supergravity and identify the inflaton field with the imaginary (instead of
the real) part of the chiral scalaron multiplet in its formulation. Once
coupled to matter, the Starobinsky model may then become the chaotic quadratic
model with shift symmetry during inflation and is in good agreement with the
current data.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figur
