How to remedy the eta-problem of SUSY GUT hybrid inflation via vector backreaction

Abstract

It is shown that, in supergravity models of inflation where the gauge kinetic function of a gauge field is modulated by the inflaton, we can obtain a new inflationary attractor solution, in which the roll-over of the inflaton suffers additional impedance due to the vector field backreaction. As a result, directions of the scalar potential which, due to strong Kaehler corrections, become too steep and curved to normally support slow-roll inflation can now naturally do so. This solves the infamous eta-problem of inflation in supergravity and also keeps the spectral index of the curvature perturbation mildly red despite eta of order unity. This mechanism is applied to a model of hybrid inflation in supergravity with a generic Kaehler potential. The spectral index of the curvature perturbation is found to be 0.97 - 0.98, in excellent agreement with data. The gauge field can act as vector curvaton generating statistical anisotropy in the curvature perturbation. However, this anisotropy could be possibly observable only if the gauge coupling constant is unnaturally small.

10 pages, talk given at the International Workshop on Grand Unified Theories (GUT2012), Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, March 15-17, 2012 (to appear in the proceedings)