Flat Tree-level Inflationary Potentials in Light of CMB and LSS Data

Understand

We use cosmic microwave background and large scale structure data to test a broad and physically well-motivated class of inflationary models: those with flat tree-level potentials (typical in supersymmetry).

• The non-trivial features of the potential arise from radiative corrections which give a simple logarithmic dependence on the inflaton field, making the models very predictive.
• We also consider a modified scenario with new physics beyond a certain high-energy cut-off showing up as non-renormalizable operators (NRO) in the inflaton field.
• We find that both kinds of models fit remarkably well CMB and LSS data, with very few free parameters.