Inflation and Reheating in Spontaneously Generated Gravity

Understand

Inflation is studied in the context of induced gravity (IG) $\gamma \sigma^2 R$, where $R$ is the Ricci scalar, $\sigma$ a scalar field and $\gamma$ a dimensionless constant, and diverse symmetry-breaking potentials $V(\sigma)$ are considered.

• In particular we compared the predictions for Landau-Ginzburg (LG) and Coleman-Weinberg (CW) type potentials and their possible generalizations with the most recent data.
• We find that large field inflation generally leads to fewer constraints on the parameters and the shape of the potential whereas small field inflation is more problematic and, if viable, implies more constraints, in particular on the parameter $\gamma$.
• We also examined the reheating phase and obtained an accurate analytical solution for the dynamics of inflaton and the Hubble parameter by using a multiple scale analysis (MSA).