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Towards inflation in string theory

Shamit Kachru1,2, Renata Kallosh1, Andrei Linde1, Juan Maldacena3, Liam McAllister1 and Sandip P Trivedi4

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We investigate the embedding of brane inflation into stable compactifications of string theory. At first sight a warped compactification geometry seems to produce a naturally flat inflaton potential, evading one well known difficulty of brane–antibrane scenarios. Careful consideration of the closed string moduli reveals a further obstacle: superpotential stabilization of the compactification volume typically modifies the inflaton potential and renders it too steep for inflation. We discuss the non-generic conditions under which this problem does not arise. We conclude that brane inflation models can only work if restrictive assumptions about the method of volume stabilization, the warping of the internal space, and the source of inflationary energy are satisfied. We argue that this may not be a real problem, given the large range of available fluxes and background geometries in string theory.


Keywords

inflation

string theory and cosmology

 

E-print Number: hep-th/0308055

Cited: by |

Refers: to

PACS

11.25.Mj Compactification and four-dimensional models

11.25.Uv D branes

11.25.Wx String and brane phenomenology

98.80.Cq Particle-theory and field-theory models of the early Universe (including cosmic pancakes, cosmic strings, chaotic phenomena, inflationary universe, etc.)

Subjects

Gravitation and cosmology

Particle physics and field theory

Astrophysics and astroparticles

Dates

Issue 10 (October 2003)

Received 23 September 2003, accepted for publication 30 September 2003

Published 30 October 2003



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