Higgs-like inflation in scalar-torsion $f(T,\phi)$ gravity in light of ACT-SPT-DESI constraints

TL;DR

This paper investigates Higgs-like inflation within scalar-torsion $f(T,)$ gravity, demonstrating compatibility with recent cosmological observations and deriving key inflationary parameters analytically and numerically.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive analysis of Higgs-like inflation in $f(T,)$ gravity, deriving analytical expressions for inflationary observables and testing their consistency with current data.

Findings

Higgs-like inflation in $f(T,)$ gravity aligns with Planck, ACT, DESI, and BICEP/Keck constraints.

Derived closed-form expressions for spectral index and tensor-to-scalar ratio.

Identified distinctive tensor signatures in this gravitational framework.

Abstract

We study Higgs-like inflation in the framework of scalar-torsion gravity, focusing on the general class of $f(T,\phi)$ theories in which gravitation is mediated by torsion rather than curvature. Motivated by the increasing precision of cosmic microwave background and large-scale-structure observations, we examine whether Higgs-like inflation remains compatible with current data in this extended gravitational setting. Working within the slow-roll approximation, we analyze the inflationary dynamics both analytically and numerically. In the dominant-coupling regime we derive closed-form expressions for the scalar spectral index and the tensor-to-scalar ratio as functions of the number of e-folds, and we subsequently relax this assumption by numerically solving the slow-roll equations. Confrontation with the latest constraints from Planck 2018, ACT DR6, DESI DR1, and BICEP/Keck shows that Higgs-like inflation in $f(T,\phi)$ gravity is fully consistent with current bounds, naturally accommodating the preferred shift in the scalar spectral index and leading to distinctive tensor-sector signatures.