Harmonic Hybrid Inflation

TL;DR

Harmonic hybrid inflation uses two axion fields with non-perturbative potentials to achieve viable slow-roll inflation, predict observable tensor modes, and address cosmological domain wall issues, with potential realization in string theory.

Contribution

This work introduces a novel axion-based hybrid inflation model with a constrained scalar potential and explores its observational predictions and string theory realizations.

Findings

Viable slow-roll inflation over wide initial conditions.

Predicted tensor-to-scalar ratio between 10^{-4} and 0.01.

Addresses domain wall problems via controlled symmetry breaking.

Abstract

We present a mechanism for realizing hybrid inflation using two axion fields with a purely non-perturbatively generated scalar potential. The structure of scalar potential is highly constrained by the discrete shift symmetries of the axions. We show that harmonic hybrid inflation generates observationally viable slow-roll inflation for a wide range of initial conditions. This is possible while accommodating certain UV arguments favoring constraints $f\lesssim M_{\rm P}$ and $\Delta\phi_{60}\lesssim M_{\rm P}$ on the axion periodicity and slow-roll field range, respectively. We discuss controlled $\mathbb{Z}_2$-symmetry breaking of the adjacent axion vacua as a means of avoiding cosmological domain wall problems. Including a minimal form of $\mathbb{Z}_2$-symmetry breaking into the minimally tuned setup leads to a prediction of primordial tensor modes with the tensor-to-scalar ratio in the range $10^{-4}\lesssim r \lesssim 0.01$, directly accessible to upcoming CMB observations. Finally, we outline several avenues towards realizing harmonic hybrid inflation in type IIB string theory.