Hybrid Quintessential Inflation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a unified scalar field model that explains both early universe inflation and late-time dark energy, with a reheating mechanism avoiding gravity wave overproduction.

Contribution

It proposes a novel single-field model coupled with a second field for reheating, improving upon previous quintessential inflation models.

Findings

The model successfully unifies inflation and dark energy.

Reheating occurs via a coupled scalar field, avoiding gravity wave overproduction.

The model achieves high post-inflation temperatures.

Abstract

A model is presented in which a single scalar field is responsible for both primordial inflation at early times and then dark energy at late times. This field is coupled to a second scalar field which becomes unstable and starts to oscillate after primordial inflation, thus driving a reheating phase that can create a high post-inflation temperature. This model easily avoids overproduction of gravity waves, which is a problem in the original quintessential inflation model in which reheating occurs via gravitational particle production.