WMAP9 and the single field models of inflation

TL;DR

Using WMAP9 data, the paper constrains single-field inflation models, excluding certain potentials and parameters at specific confidence levels, and discusses implications for primordial black holes.

Contribution

It provides updated observational constraints on single-field inflation models using the latest WMAP9 data, highlighting which models are now disfavored.

Findings

Tree-level potential with p=3 excluded at 2-sigma

Axion monodromy with alpha=2/3 excluded at 1-sigma for N=47

Alpha=2/5 excluded at 2-sigma for N=61

Abstract

Using the latest release from WMAP, I find that for a reasonable number of e-folds the tree-level potential with self coupling power p=3 is now excluded from the 2-sigma region, the axion monodromy model with the power alpha=2/3 is now excluded from the 1-sigma confidence region for N=47 e-folds and for N=61. alpha=2/5 is also excluded from the 2-sigma region for N=61. I also find that since the upper bound on the running has been reduced, a significant abundance of PBHs requires fractional powers of self-coupling in the Hilltop-type model.