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TwInflation: natural low-scale inflation via discrete symmetry

The general structure of Hybrid Inflation remains a very well-motivated mechanism for lower-scale cosmic inflation in the face of improving constraints on the tensor-to-scalar ratio. However, as originally modeled, the "waterfall" field in this mechanism gives rise to a hierarchy problem for the inflaton after demanding standard EFT control. This talk will present a viable, natural and EFT-controlled model of non-supersymmetric low-scale inflation, "Twinflation", wherein we modify the hybrid mechanism and incorporate a discrete "twin" symmetry. Analogously to Twin Higgs models, the discrete exchange-symmetry with a "twin" sector reduces quadratic sensitivity in the inflationary potential to UV physics, at the root of the hierarchy problem. Basic phenomenological considerations and constraints as well as possible future directions will also be discussed.

Host: David Curtin
Event series  THEP Events