Observational Signatures of Gravitational Couplings in DBI Inflation

TL;DR

This paper explores how non-minimal gravitational couplings in DBI inflation models can produce unique observable signatures, potentially detectable by current and future cosmological experiments, especially in non-Gaussianity measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a framework for analyzing non-minimally coupled DBI inflation models and identifies observable signatures within string-inspired phenomenological scenarios.

Findings

Models can generate new observable signatures.

Parameter space allows for detectable non-Gaussianity.

Potential for future constraints with Planck data.

Abstract

In scalar-tensor theories the scalar fields generically couple nontrivially to gravity. We study the observable properties of inflationary models with non-minimally coupled inflaton and Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) kinetic term. Within the assumptions of the priors of our Monte-Carlo simulations we find these models can generate new interesting observable signatures. Our discussion focuses on string theory inspired phenomenological models of relativistic D-brane inflation. While successful string theory constructions of ultra-violet DBI brane inflation remain elusive, we show that in suitable regions of the parameter space it is possible to use cosmological observables to probe the non-minimial coupling. Fortunately, the most observationally promising range of parameters include models yielding intermediate levels of non-gaussianity in the range consistent with WMAP 5-year data, and to be constrained further by the Planck satellite.