Constraining Modified Mass-to-Horizon Cosmology Through Primordial Inflationary Observables
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: We investigate slow-roll inflation in a modified cosmological framework inspired by a generalized mass-to-horizon relation (MHR), $M=γ{c^2 L^n}/{G}$, where $n$ is a real parameter and $γ$ a dimensional constant. Using Padmanabhan's emergence paradigm, we derive the modified Friedmann equations for a flat FRW universe and analyze the dynamics of a canonical scalar field (inflaton) under the slow-roll approximation. We study the resulting inflationary phenomenology for power-law and Starobinsky potentials. For power-law potentials, the MHR modification fails to reconcile these models with current CMB constraints on $r$ and $n_s$. In contrast, Starobinsky inflation exhibits significant sensitivity to deviations from $n=1$. A perturbative analysis ($n=1+Δ$) yields corrections to inflationary observables. We observe that the scalar power-spectrum normalization, under a fixed-Starobinsky prescription, imposes the stringent constraint $0.960 \lesssim n \lesssim 1.040$ for $N=60$ efolds. This is considerably tighter than spectral-index bounds. Our results establish inflation, particularly Starobinsky-like models, as a sensitive probe of generalized horizon thermodynamics and departures from standard MHR scaling.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Sheykhi, A., Luciano, G. G., Benkrane, A.
Institutions: Shiraz University, University of Ouargla, Universitat de Lleida
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Shiraz University, Universitat de Lleida
Awards: G4062619982, G7213960653
OpenAlex ID: W7212316794