Chern-Simons EM-flation

Abstract

We propose a new, generic mechanism of inflation mediated by a balance between potential forces and a Chern-Simons interaction. Such quasi-topological interactions are ubiquitous in string theory. In the minisuperspace approximation, their effect on the dynamics can be mapped onto the problem of a charged particle in an electromagnetic field together with an external potential; slow roll arises when the motion is dominated by the analogue of `magnetic drift'. This mechanism is robust against radiative corrections. We suggest a possible experimental signature which, if observed, might be considered strong evidence for string theory.

30 pages, no figures. v2: several errors corrected