We show that models of `just enough' inflation, where the slow-roll evolution lasted only 50-60 e-foldings, feature modifications of the CMB power spectrum at large angular scales. We perform a systematic analytic analysis in the limit of a sudden transition between any possible non-slow-roll background evolution and the final stage of slow-roll inflation. We find a high degree of universality since most common backgrounds like fast-roll evolution, matter or radiation-dominance give rise to a power loss at large angular scales and a peak together with an oscillatory behaviour at scales around the value of the Hubble parameter at the beginning of slow-roll inflation. Depending on the value of the equation of state parameter, different pre-inflationary epochs lead instead to an enhancement of power at low-ell, and so seem disfavoured by recent observational hints for a lack of CMB power at ell<40. We also comment on the importance of initial conditions and the possibility to have multiple pre-inflationary stages.
Just enough inflation: power spectrum modifications at large scales / Michele, Cicoli; Sean, Downes; Bhaskar, Dutta; Francisco G., Pedro; Alexander, Westphal. - In: JOURNAL OF COSMOLOGY AND ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS. - ISSN 1475-7516. - ELETTRONICO. - 2014:(2014), pp. 1-26. [10.1088/1475-7516/2014/12/030]
Just enough inflation: power spectrum modifications at large scales
CICOLI, MICHELE;Francisco G. Pedro;
2014
Abstract
We show that models of `just enough' inflation, where the slow-roll evolution lasted only 50-60 e-foldings, feature modifications of the CMB power spectrum at large angular scales. We perform a systematic analytic analysis in the limit of a sudden transition between any possible non-slow-roll background evolution and the final stage of slow-roll inflation. We find a high degree of universality since most common backgrounds like fast-roll evolution, matter or radiation-dominance give rise to a power loss at large angular scales and a peak together with an oscillatory behaviour at scales around the value of the Hubble parameter at the beginning of slow-roll inflation. Depending on the value of the equation of state parameter, different pre-inflationary epochs lead instead to an enhancement of power at low-ell, and so seem disfavoured by recent observational hints for a lack of CMB power at ell<40. We also comment on the importance of initial conditions and the possibility to have multiple pre-inflationary stages.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.