Inflation and Uplifting with Nilpotent Superfields

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new class of supergravity inflation models using nilpotent superfields, unifying inflation and cosmic acceleration with simplified theoretical structures.

Contribution

It proposes a broad new class of inflationary models in supergravity that incorporate both inflation and uplifting using nilpotent superfields, extending previous simplifications.

Findings

New models unify inflation and dark energy in supergravity.

Models simplify the construction of inflationary scenarios.

Potential for more realistic cosmological models within supergravity.

Abstract

Recently it was found that a broad class of existing inflationary models based on supergravity can be significantly simplified if some of the standard, unconstrained chiral superfields are replaced by nilpotent superfields, associated with Volkov-Akulov supersymmetry. The same method allows to simplify the existing models of uplifting of AdS vacua in string theory. In this paper we will show that one can go well beyond simplifying the models that already exist. We will propose a broad class of new models of chaotic inflation based on supergravity with nilpotent superfields, which simultaneously incorporate both inflation and uplifting. They provide a simple unified description of inflation and the present acceleration of the universe in the supergravity context.