Quartic hilltop inflation revisited

TL;DR

This paper refines the analysis of Quartic Hilltop Inflation by expressing model parameters in terms of observable quantities, enabling precise bounds and insights into inflationary properties based on current and future measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a method to eliminate potential parameters in favor of observable inflationary parameters, simplifying analysis and improving bounds on model characteristics.

Findings

Derived equations linking model parameters to $n_s$ and $r$

Established bounds on model parameters from reheating constraints

Provided predictions for inflationary observables based on current data

Abstract

We implement a procedure by which the parameters present in the potential of Quartic Hilltop Inflation (QHI) are eliminated in favor of the scalar spectral index $n_s$ and the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$. By doing this it is posible to obtain in a straightforward and simple way the equations of a previous analysis where an analytical treatment of QHI in the large field limit is given. This procedure also allows a more precise discussion of general properties of the model. Also, using a constraint from the reheating epoch it is possible to find bounds for the parameters of the model as well as for quantities of interest such as the running of the scalar index, the reheating temperature and the inflationary scale. Since the bounds found come from expressions given exclusively in terms of $n_s$ and $r$ they will continue to narrow as the measurements of the observables $n_s$ and $r$ become more sensitive.