Towards Matter Inflation in Heterotic String Theory

TL;DR

This paper explores a novel approach to realizing inflation within heterotic string theory by generalizing supergravity models with matter fields, utilizing symmetries and stabilization mechanisms to achieve a viable inflationary scenario.

Contribution

It proposes a generalized model for matter inflation in heterotic orbifolds, incorporating Heisenberg symmetry and a stabilization mechanism for the inflaton modulus.

Findings

A framework for matter inflation in heterotic orbifolds is developed.

Conditions for successful inflation with this setup are identified.

A stabilization mechanism for the inflaton modulus is proposed.

Abstract

Recently, a class of inflation models in supergravity with gauge non-singlet matter fields as the inflaton has been proposed. It is based on a `tribrid' structure in the superpotential and on a Heisenberg symmetry for solving the eta-problem. We suggest that a generalization of this model class may be suitable for realising inflation in heterotic orbifold compactifications, where the Heisenberg symmetry is a property of the tree-level K"ahler potential of untwisted matter fields. We discuss moduli stabilization in this setup and propose a mechanism to stabilize the modulus associated to the inflaton, which respects the symmetry in the large radius limit. Inflation ends via a waterfall phase transition, as in hybrid inflation. We give conditions which have to be satisfied for realising inflation along these lines in the matter sector of heterotic orbifolds.