Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: After Planck 2013, a broad class of inflationary models called $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-attractors was developed which has universal observational predictions. For small values of the parameter $\ensuremath{\alpha}$, the models have good consistency with the recent cosmic microwave background data. In this work, we first calculate analytically (and verify numerically) the predictions of these models for spectral index, ${n}_{\mathrm{s}}$, and tensor-to-scalar ratio, $r$, and then, using BICEP2/Keck 2015 and Planck 2015 data, we impose constraints on $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-attractors. Then, we study the reheating for $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-attractors. The reheating temperature, ${T}_{\mathrm{re}}$, and the number of e-folds during reheating, ${N}_{\mathrm{re}}$, are calculated as functions of ${n}_{\mathrm{s}}$. Using these results, we determine the range of the free parameters of two classes of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-attractors which satisfy the constraints of recent cosmic microwave background data.
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2276859640