Cosmic strings and Natural Inflation

TL;DR

This paper investigates the impact of cosmic strings on natural inflation models using CMB data, revealing different parameter constraints depending on the timing of string formation relative to inflation.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of how cosmic string formation timing affects inflationary parameter constraints based on CMB quadrupole data.

Findings

Allowed inflationary parameters vary significantly if strings form during or after inflation.

String tension bounds are consistent with existing upper limits when strings form after inflation.

The study refines constraints on natural inflation models considering cosmic string effects.

Abstract

In the present work we discuss cosmic strings in natural inflation. Our analysis is based entirely on the CMB quadrupole temperature anisotropy and on the existing upper bound on the cosmic string tension. Our results show that the allowed range for both parameters of the inflationary model is very different from the range obtained recently if cosmic strings are formed at the same time with inflation, while if strings are formed after inflation we find that the parameters of the inflationary model are similar to the ones obtained recently.