The moduli problem at the perturbative level

Abstract

Moduli fields generically produce strong dark matter -- radiation and baryon -- radiation isocurvature perturbations through their decay if they remain light during inflation. We show that existing upper bounds on the magnitude of such fluctuations can thus be translated into stringent constraints on the moduli parameter space m_σ(modulus mass) -- σ_{inf} (modulus vacuum expectation value at the end of inflation). These constraints are complementary to previously existing bounds so that the moduli problem becomes worse at the perturbative level. In particular, if the inflationary scale H_{inf}~10^{13} GeV, particle physics scenarios which predict high moduli masses m_σ> 10-100 TeV are plagued by the perturbative moduli problem, even though they evade big-bang nucleosynthesis constraints.

4 pages, 3 figures (revtex) -- v2: an important correction on the amplitude/transfer of isocurvature modes at the end of inflation, typos corrected, references added, basic result unchanged

References in corpus (5)

• Big Bang Nucleosynthesis Constraints on Hadronically and Electromagnetically Decaying Relic Neutral Particles
• Deep inelastic scattering from gauge string duality in the soft wall model
• Neutralino Dark Matter and the Curvaton
• Constraints on moduli cosmology from the production of dark matter and baryon isocurvature fluctuations
• Curvaton Decay into Baryons, anti-Baryons and Radiation

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Cosmological Moduli and the Post-Inflationary Universe: A Critical Review
• Stochastic growth of quantum fluctuations during slow-roll inflation
• CMB constraint on non-Gaussianity in isocurvature perturbations
• Constraints on scalar and tensor perturbations in phenomenological and two-field inflation models: Bayesian evidences for primordial isocurvature and tensor modes
• Gravitino Dark Matter and Non-Gaussianity
• Extended analysis of CMB constraints on non-Gaussianity in isocurvature perturbations