T-Model Higgs Inflation and Metastable Cosmic Strings

TL;DR

This paper explores how metastable cosmic strings formed during a specific inflationary phase in a supersymmetric left-right model can explain recent gravitational wave observations, linking particle physics with cosmological data.

Contribution

It introduces a novel scenario where metastable cosmic strings form during T-model Higgs inflation in a SUSY framework, connecting inflation, cosmic strings, and gravitational wave signals.

Findings

Cosmic strings produced can account for PTA gravitational wave signals.

The model aligns with data using hyperbolic Kaehler geometry and specific superpotential couplings.

It offers solutions to the mu problem and discusses gauge coupling unification.

Abstract

We present the formation of metastable cosmic strings (CSs) in the context of a supersymmetric (SUSY) left-right model. The SU(2)R symmetry breaking occurs during a stage of T-model (Higgs) inflation (TI) driven by an SU(2)R triplet superfield which inflates away the produced monopoles. The subsequent breaking of the remaining U(1)R x U(1)B-L symmetry, triggered due to an instability arising in the system of a pair of SU(2)R doublet superfields, leads to the production of CSs. TI is based on a quartic potential, is consistent with data thanks to the adopted hyperbolic Kaehler geometry and may be followed by successful non-thermal leptogenesis. The decay of produced CSs interprets the recent observations from PTA experiments on the stochastic background of gravitational waves with values of the superpotential coupling constants close to 10^-6-10^-8 and symmetry-breaking scales a little lower than the SUSY grand unified theory scale. A solution to the mu problem of the MSSM is also accommodated provided that mu is two to three orders of magnitude lower than the gravitino mass. The issue of the gauge coupling unification is also discussed.