Details: |
Abstract: To explain cosmological inflation, a slowly rolling scalar field is required, which typically originates from beyond the Standard Model. This framework introduces additional particles, such as gauge and scalar fields, that can influence inflationary dynamics. In my pre-submission seminar, I will focus on three key aspects. First, I will talk about how the inclusion of a gauge field during inflation impacts CMB-scale observables, which can potentially revive the natural inflation model in light of recent cosmological data for specific inflaton-gauge field couplings. Second, I will discuss how moduli stabilization depends on the initial condition of the moduli in the presence of radiation, where the radiation bath relaxes the upper bound on reheating temperatures, which has come from non-dynamical analyses. Finally, I will explore how the $\alpha$-attractor inflation model suppresses light moduli production during preheating, mitigating disruptions to BBN and preserving the observed light element abundances. |