Thesis

Inflation and string theory

• Call:

  FCT / IDPASC call 2012

• Academic Year:

  2012 /2013

• Domain:

  Cosmology

• Supervisor:

  Paulo Moniz

• Co-Supervisor:

• Institution:

  Instituto Superior Técnico

• Host Institution:

  Universidade Beira Interior (nb. My I&D unit is at IST)

• Abstract:

  Retrieving proper inflation within string theory seems still a challenge (a good review will appear towards the end of 2011 as a several-authors Focus issue in CQG but meanwhile have a look at any recent paper by myself and JWard in CQG): only by using (severe to some!) fine-tuning, we can have enough primordial acceleration to produce a universe likely to ours. A framework that has not been yet fully explored is that of F. Sauressig's JCAP's papers on 'conifold transitions in M-/string theory', where the presence of gravitation seems to cancel a chaotic behavior but with the price of preventing any inflation. There are a few lines to explore: What if more (scalar) fields are present? This may be 'natural' from string theory when importing enough 'moduli' fields and producing an 'assisted inflation scenario'. What if other (phenomenological) fluids are included (enhancing the damping effect)? Can this setting be falsifiable and hence concrete observational predictions made?