Inflection-point Higgs Inflation

Abstract

Inflection-point inflation is an interesting possibility to realize a successful slow-roll inflation when inflation is driven by a single scalar field with its initial value below the Planck mass (${\varphi }_I\lesssim M_{Pl}$). In order for a renormalization group (RG) improved effective $\lambda {\varphi }^4$ potential to develop an inflection-point, the quartic coupling $\lambda (\varphi )$ must exhibit a minimum with an almost vanishing value in its RG evolution, namely $\lambda ({\varphi }_I)\simeq 0$ and ${\beta }_{\lambda }({\varphi }_I)\simeq 0$, where ${\beta }_{\lambda }$ is the beta-function of the quartic coupling. As an example, we consider the minimal gauged $B-L$ extended Standard Model at the TeV scale, where we identify the $B-L$ Higgs field as the inflaton field. For a successful inflection-point inflation, which is consistent with the current cosmological observations, the mass ratios among the $Z^{\prime }$ gauge boson, the right-handed neutrinos and the $B-L$ Higgs boson are fixed. Our scenario can be tested in the future collider experiments such as the High-Luminosity LHC and the SHiP experiments. In addition, the inflection-point inflation provides a unique prediction for the running of the spectral index $\alpha \simeq -2.7\times 10^{-3}{\left(\frac{60}{N}\right)}^2$ ($N$ is the $e$-folding number), which can be tested in the near future.

16 pages, 3 figures, analysis for the end of inflation revised, typos corrected. Accepted for publication in PRD

References in corpus (13)

• The Standard Model Higgs boson as the inflaton
• Higgs inflation: consistency and generalisations
• Inflation scenario via the Standard Model Higgs boson and LHC
• Gauge invariant MSSM inflaton
• A facility to Search for Hidden Particles (SHiP) at the CERN SPS
• Higgs inflation at the critical point
• Higgs inflation still alive
• A Delicate Universe
• The Standard Model Higgs Boson-Inflaton and Dark Matter
• Warm Inflection
• Volume modulus inflection point inflation and the gravitino mass problem
• Reconstructing inflationary potential from BICEP2 and running of tensor modes
• Non-Minimal Two-Loop Inflation

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Ultra slow-roll inflation demystified
• Higgs inflation with loop corrections in the Palatini formulation
• Expectations for Inflationary Observables: Simple or Natural?
• Inflation, Proton Decay, and Higgs-Portal Dark Matter in $SO(10)\times U(1{)}_{\psi }$