Large tensor-to-scalar ratio and low scale inflation

Allahverdi, Rouzbeh; Mazumdar, Anupam; Multamaki, Tuomas

Large tensor-to-scalar ratio and low scale inflation

Authors

Allahverdi, Rouzbeh

Mazumdar, Anupam

Multamaki, Tuomas

Description

It is plausible that the scalar density perturbations are created by a relatively low scale model of inflation which predicts the CMB anisotropy and excites Standard Model baryon and cold dark matter, but negligible gravity waves. Nevertheless a significantly large tensor perturbations can be observed if there exists a prior phase of high scale inflation separated by a matter or radiation dominated epoch. In this paper we provide a simple example when the gravity waves generated at high scales trickle through the horizon of the second phase of inflation and leave a distinct imprint in the spectrum of the tensor modes. For a high scale inflation occurring at $H\sim 10^{13}$ GeV while the second phase of inflation happening at $H\sim 1$ GeV, the largest tensor to scalar ratio is bounded by $r_{\rm observed}\leq0.8$.
9 pages+8 figures; v2: small changes, added discussion, new figures