New Tests of Inflation

Abstract

Slow-roll inflation generically makes several predictions: a flat Universe, primordial adiabatic density perturbations, and a stochastic gravity-wave background. Each inflation model will further predict specific relations between the amplitudes and shapes of the spectrum of density perturbations and gravity waves. There are now excellent prospects for testing precisely these predictions with forthcoming cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization maps.

11 pages. To appear in PASCOS-98, proceedings of the conference, Boston, MA, March 22--29, 1998, edited by P. Nath (World Scientific, Singapore)