Inflation as a probe of short distance physics

Richard Easther, Brian R. Greene, William H. Kinney, and Gary Shiu
Phys. Rev. D 64, 103502 – Published 16 October 2001
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Abstract

We show that a string-inspired Planck scale modification of general relativity can have observable cosmological effects. Specifically, we present a complete analysis of the inflationary perturbation spectrum produced by a phenomenological Lagrangian that has a standard form on large scales but incorporates a string-inspired short distance cutoff, and find a deviation from the standard result. We use the de Sitter calculation as the basis of a qualitative analysis of other inflationary backgrounds, arguing that in these cases the cutoff could have a more pronounced effect, changing the shape of the spectrum. Moreover, the computational approach developed here can be used to provide unambiguous calculations of the perturbation spectrum in other heuristic models that modify trans-Planckian physics and thereby determine their impact on the inflationary perturbation spectrum. Finally, we argue that this model may provide an exception to constraints, recently proposed by Tanaka and Starobinsky, on the ability of Planck-scale physics to modify the cosmological spectrum.

  • Received 18 May 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.64.103502

©2001 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Richard Easther1,*, Brian R. Greene1,2,†, William H. Kinney1,‡, and Gary Shiu3,§

  • 1Institute for Strings, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
  • 2Department of Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
  • 3Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104

  • *Email address: easther@phys.columbia.edu
  • Email address: greene@phys.columbia.edu
  • Email address: kinney@phys.columbia.edu
  • §Email address: shiu@dept.physics.upenn.edu

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Issue

Vol. 64, Iss. 10 — 15 November 2001

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