Exit from Inflation with a First-Order Phase Transition and a Gravitational Wave Blast

Abstract

In double-field inflation, which exploits two scalar fields, one of the fields rolls slowly during inflation whereas the other field is trapped in a meta-stable vacuum. The nucleation rate from the false vacuum to the true one becomes substantial enough that triggers a first order phase transition and ends inflation. We revisit the question of first order phase transition in an "extended" model of hybrid inflation, realizing the double-field inflationary scenario, and correctly identify the parameter space that leads to a first order phase transition at the end of inflation. We compute the gravitational wave profile which is generated during this first order phase transition. Assuming instant reheating, the peak frequency falls in the $1$ GHz to $10$ GHz frequency band and the amplitude varies in the range $10^{-11}\lesssim {\Omega }_{\mathrm{GW}}{h}^2\lesssim 10^{-8}$, depending on the value of the cosmological constant in the false vacuum. The signature could be observed by the planned Chongqing high frequency gravitational probe. For a narrow band of vacuum energies, the first order phase transition can happen after the end of inflation via the violation of slow-roll, with a peak frequency that varies from $1$ THz to $100$ THz. For smaller values of cosmological constant, even though inflation can end via slow-roll violation, the universe gets trapped in a false vacuum whose energy drives a second phase of eternal inflation. This range of vacuum energies do not lead to viable inflationary models, unless the value of the cosmological constant is compatible with the observed value, $M\sim 10^{-3}$ eV.

arXiv commentv1: 15 pages, 8 Figures; v2: typos corrected;v3: matched the PLB version

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• NANOGrav Signal from the End of Inflation and the LIGO Mass and Heavier Primordial Black Holes
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• Gravitational Waves from an Inflation Triggered First-Order Phase Transition
• Enhanced curvature perturbations from spherical domain walls nucleated during inflation
• Gravitational waves from bubble collisions in FLRW spacetime
• Gravitational Waves from Axion Monodromy
• Phase-transition sound of inflation at gravitational waves detectors
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• Curvature perturbations from vacuum transition during inflation
• Simulating first-order phase transition during inflation
• Gravitational waves from a first-order phase transition of the inflaton