$\alpha$-Attractors and Reheating in a Non-Minimal Inflationary Model

TL;DR

This paper explores $$-attractor inflation models with non-minimal derivative couplings, analyzing perturbations, universal predictions for spectral index and tensor ratio, and constraining parameters using Planck 2018 data.

Contribution

It extends $$-attractor models to include non-minimal derivative couplings and studies their perturbations, universality, and reheating constraints.

Findings

Universal predictions for $n_s$ and $r$ in large N and small $$ limit.

Constraints on model parameters from Planck 2018 data.

Analysis of reheating dynamics in non-minimal derivative inflation.

Abstract

We study $\alpha$-attractor models with both E-model and T-model potential in an extended Non-Minimal Derivative (NMD) inflation where a canonical scalar field and its derivatives are non-minimally coupled to gravity. We calculate the evolution of perturbations during this regime. Then by adopting inflation potentials of the model we show that in the large N and small $\alpha$ limit, value of the scalar spectral index ns and tensor to scalar ratio r are universal. Next, we study reheating after inflation in this formalism. We obtain some constraints on the model's parameter space by adopting the results with Planck 2018.