pith. sign in

hub

Reheating constraints to inflationary models

11 Pith papers cite this work. Polarity classification is still indexing.

11 Pith papers citing it
abstract

Evidence from the BICEP2 experiment for a significant gravitational-wave background has focussed attention on inflaton potentials $V(\phi) \propto \phi^\alpha$ with $\alpha=2$ ("chaotic" or "$m^2\phi^2$" inflation) or with smaller values of $\alpha$, as may arise in axion-monodromy models. Here we show that reheating considerations may provide additional constraints to these models. The reheating phase preceding the radiation era is modeled by an effective equation-of-state parameter $w_{\rm re}$. The canonical reheating scenario is then described by $w_{\rm re}=0$. The simplest $\alpha=2$ models are consistent with $w_{\rm re} = 0$ for values of $n_s$ well within the current $1\sigma$ range. Models with $\alpha=1$ or $\alpha=2/3$ require a more exotic reheating phase, with $-1/3<w_{\rm re}<0$, unless $n_s$ falls above the current $1\sigma$ range. Likewise, models with $\alpha=4$ require a physically implausible $w_{\rm re}>1/3$, unless $n_s$ is close to the lower limit of the $2\sigma$ range. For $m^2\phi^2$ inflation and canonical reheating as a benchmark, we derive a relation $\log_{10}\left(T_{\rm re}/10^6\,{\rm GeV} \right) \simeq 2000\,(n_s-0.96)$ between the reheat temperature $T_{\rm re}$ and the scalar spectral index $n_s$. Thus, if $n_s$ is close to its central value, then $T_{\rm re}\lesssim 10^6$~GeV, just above the electroweak scale. If the reheat temperature is higher, as many theorists may prefer, then the scalar spectral index should be closer to $n_s\simeq0.965$ (at the pivot scale $k=0.05\,{\rm Mpc}^{-1}$), near the upper limit of the $1\sigma$ error range. Improved precision in the measurement of $n_s$ should allow $m^2\phi^2$, axion-monodromy, and $\phi^4$ models to be distinguished, even without precise measurement of $r$, and to test the $m^2\phi^2$ expectation of $n_s\simeq0.965$.

hub tools

citation-role summary

background 4

citation-polarity summary

verdicts

UNVERDICTED 11

roles

background 4

polarities

background 4

representative citing papers

Dilaton-Flattened Axion Inflation

hep-ph · 2026-04-16 · unverdicted · novelty 7.0

Dilaton backreaction on an anomaly-inspired axion potential generates a closed-form Lambert-W flattened hilltop, giving r ≈ 0.033–0.036 and α_s ≈ −4.6×10^{-4} at N=56 with strictly adiabatic dynamics.

Equation of state during (p)reheating with trilinear interactions

astro-ph.CO · 2025-07-17 · unverdicted · novelty 5.0

Lattice simulations show that the post-inflationary equation of state with trilinear interactions returns to zero after an initial deviation, substantially lowering stochastic gravitational wave amplitudes relative to prior estimates.

Inflation from a Weyl-flat null origin

hep-ph · 2026-04-19 · unverdicted · novelty 5.0

Single-field inflation with ε(N) approaching a constant in (0,1) at early times forms an asymptotic universality class with a Weyl-flat null origin while producing ns and r values compatible with Planck data.

Einstein or Jordan: seeking answers from the reheating constraints

gr-qc · 2019-07-24 · unverdicted · novelty 4.0

Differences in inflationary energy scales between Einstein and Jordan frames produce distinct reheating e-folding numbers and temperatures, leading to contrasting thermal histories with potential observational signatures.

Lectures on Reheating after Inflation

astro-ph.CO · 2019-07-09 · unverdicted · novelty 0.0

Lecture notes providing a generic introduction to reheating after inflation, covering its theoretical, phenomenological, and observational aspects.

citing papers explorer

Showing 11 of 11 citing papers.

  • Dilaton-Flattened Axion Inflation hep-ph · 2026-04-16 · unverdicted · none · ref 42

    Dilaton backreaction on an anomaly-inspired axion potential generates a closed-form Lambert-W flattened hilltop, giving r ≈ 0.033–0.036 and α_s ≈ −4.6×10^{-4} at N=56 with strictly adiabatic dynamics.

  • Precision Inflationary Predictions: Impact of Accurate End-of-Inflation Dynamics astro-ph.CO · 2024-07-01 · unverdicted · none · ref 48 · internal anchor

    Improved end-of-inflation dynamics shift the Starobinsky model's predicted spectral index n_s by up to 1.2×10^{-3} within the allowed reheating range.

  • Inflaton Accretion onto Primordial Black Holes During Reheating astro-ph.CO · 2026-05-19 · unverdicted · none · ref 82 · internal anchor

    Inflaton accretion during reheating drives non-linear PBH mass growth that extends lifetimes and amplifies emitted SGWB by multiple orders of magnitude.

  • Equation of state during (p)reheating with trilinear interactions astro-ph.CO · 2025-07-17 · unverdicted · none · ref 19 · internal anchor

    Lattice simulations show that the post-inflationary equation of state with trilinear interactions returns to zero after an initial deviation, substantially lowering stochastic gravitational wave amplitudes relative to prior estimates.

  • ACT-ing on inflation: Implications of non Bunch-Davies initial condition and reheating on single-field slow roll models astro-ph.CO · 2025-05-15 · unverdicted · none · ref 83 · internal anchor

    Non-Bunch-Davies initial conditions substantially improve the fit of various single-field slow-roll inflation models to updated n_s-r constraints from ACT DR6 combined with Planck, DESI, and BICEP/Keck data.

  • Inflation from a Weyl-flat null origin hep-ph · 2026-04-19 · unverdicted · none · ref 24

    Single-field inflation with ε(N) approaching a constant in (0,1) at early times forms an asymptotic universality class with a Weyl-flat null origin while producing ns and r values compatible with Planck data.

  • Reheating in geometric Weyl-invariant Einstein-Cartan gravity gr-qc · 2026-01-30 · unverdicted · none · ref 43 · internal anchor

    Reheating temperature and equation-of-state parameter assumptions in Weyl-invariant Einstein-Cartan gravity models significantly alter predicted inflationary observables.

  • Einstein or Jordan: seeking answers from the reheating constraints gr-qc · 2019-07-24 · unverdicted · none · ref 9 · internal anchor

    Differences in inflationary energy scales between Einstein and Jordan frames produce distinct reheating e-folding numbers and temperatures, leading to contrasting thermal histories with potential observational signatures.

  • Thermal effects on Dark Matter production during cosmic reheating hep-ph · 2026-04-17 · unverdicted · none · ref 41

    Thermal corrections to reheating and freeze-in DM production rates are generally small in the computable regime but can be large in constructed counter-examples.

  • Gravitational waves production during preheating within GB gravity with monomial coupling gr-qc · 2026-04-06 · unverdicted · none · ref 25

    In Gauss-Bonnet inflation with monomial potential and coupling, gravitational waves from preheating produce a present-day energy density spectrum consistent with Planck constraints when the coupling strength, equation of state, and efficiency are set to specific values.

  • Lectures on Reheating after Inflation astro-ph.CO · 2019-07-09 · unverdicted · none · ref 46 · internal anchor

    Lecture notes providing a generic introduction to reheating after inflation, covering its theoretical, phenomenological, and observational aspects.