Search

We investigate the possibility that primordial black holes (PBHs) can be formed from large curvature perturbations generated during the waterfall phase transition in a hybrid inflation model driven by an axion-like particle (ALP) $\phi$. The model predicts a spectral index $n_s \simeq 0.964$ and a tensor-to-scalar ratio $r \simeq 0.003$, in agreement with Planck data and potentially testable by next generation cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments such as CMB-S4 and LiteBIRD. We find that the PBH mass and the peak of the associated scalar-induced gravitational wave (SIGW) spectrum are correlated with the ALP mass. In particular, PBHs in the mass range $10^{-13}\, M_\odot$ can constitute either the entire dark matter (DM) content of the universe or a significant fraction of it. The predicted second-order GWs from this mechanism are within the sensitivity reach of future observatories like LISA and ET. The typical reheating temperature in the model is around $10^6 - 10^7$ GeV is consistent with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) constraints., Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures + Refs

We present a realistic supersymmetric $\mu$-hybrid inflation model within the framework of $SU(4)_C \times SU(2)_L \times U(1)_R$ gauge symmetry, wherein the symmetry breaking $SU(4)_C \times SU(2)_L \times U(1)_R\rightarrow SU(3)_C\times SU(2)_L \times U(1)_{B-L}\times U(1)_R$ occurs before observable inflation, effectively eliminating topologically stable primordial monopoles. Subsequent breaking of $U(1)_{B-L} \times U(1)_R \rightarrow U(1)_Y$ after inflation leads to the formation of superheavy metastable cosmic strings (CSs), capable of producing a stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) consistent with the recent PTA data. Moreover, the scalar spectral index $n_s$ and the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ align with Planck 2018 observations. A consistent scenario for reheating and non-thermal leptogenesis is employed to explain the observed matter content of the universe. Finally, the embedding of $G_{421}$ into the Pati-Salam gauge symmetry $G_{422}$ is briefly discussed, predicting potentially observable proton decay rates detectable at facilities such as Hyper Kamiokande and DUNE., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures

We propose to study a smooth variant of the $\mu$-hybrid inflation model and a non-minimal Higgs model of inflation with quartic non-minimal coupling between the Higgs field and gravity within the context of a realistic GUT gauge group based on supersymmetric $SU(4)_{C}\times SU(2)_{L}\times SU(2)_{R}$. These models are incorporated with a realistic scenario of reheating and non-thermal leptogenesis, compatible with the constraints from the baryon asymmetry of the universe. Notably, both models successfully address the MSSM $\mu$-problem and avoid the issue of primordial magnetic monopoles. Our analysis reveals that both models predict a scalar spectral index $n_s$ that closely aligns with the central observationally favored value of Planck2018 + BICEP2/Keck Array (BK15) data and yield a large tensor-to-scalar ratio ($r > 10^{-3}$), potentially detectable in forthcoming CMB experiments., Comment: 35 pages, 11 figures

A realistic model of $SU(5) \times U(1)_{\chi}$, embedded in $SO(10)$ supersymmetric grand unified theory, is investigated for the emergence of a metastable cosmic string network. This network eventually decays via the Schwinger production of monopole-antimonopole pairs, subsequently generating a stochastic gravitational wave background that is compatible with the NANOGrav 15-year data. In order to avoid the monopole problem in the breaking of both $SO(10)$ and $SU(5)$, a non-minimal Higgs inflation scenario is incorporated. The radiative breaking of the $U(1)_{\chi}$ symmetry at a slightly lower scale plays a pivotal role in aligning the string tension parameter with the observable range. The resultant gravitational wave spectrum not only accounts for the signal observed in the most recent pulsar timing array (PTA) experiments but is also accessible to both current and future ground-based and space-based experiments., Comment: 22 pages and5 figures

We revisit the bottom and $\tau$ Yukawa coupling unification in supersymmetric $4$-$2$-$2$ model and present for the first time the sbottom-neutralino co-annihilation scenario consistent with the bottom and $\tau$ Yukawa coupling unification. In addition, we show gluino-neutralino, stop-neutralino, stau-neutralino, chargino-neutralino, and A-resonance scenario and show that all such solutions are consistent with existing experimental collider constraints, Planck2018 dark matter relic density bounds as well as direct and indirect bounds on neutralino-nucleons scattering cross sections. We show that in sbottom-neutralino co-annihilation scenario, the sbottom mass is about 2 TeV whereas in the case of gluino-neutralino, stop-neutralino, the gluino mass can be between 1 TeV to 3 TeV and stop mass in the range of 1 TeV to 3.5 TeV. {Moreover, in the case of co-annihilation scenario, the stau and chargino masses can be as heavy as 3.5 TeV,} while the A-resonance solutions are in the range of 0.5 TeV to 3.5 TeV. We anticipate that some part of the parameter space will be accessible in the supersymmetry searches at LHC Run-3 and beyond., Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures

We implement shifted hybrid inflation in the framework of supersymmetric $SU(5) \times U(1)_{\chi}$ GUT model which provides a natural solution to the monopole problem appearing in the spontaneous symmetry breaking of $SU(5)$. The $U(1)_{\chi}$ symmetry is radiatevely broken after the end of inflation at an intermediate scale, yielding topologically stable cosmic strings. The Planck's bound on the gravitational interaction strength of these strings, characterized by $G_N \mu_s$ are easily satisfied with the $U(1)_{\chi}$ symmetry breaking scale which depends on the initial boundary conditions at the GUT scale. The dimension-5 proton lifetime for the decay $p \rightarrow K^+ \bar{\nu}$, mediated by color-triplet Higgsinos is found to satisfy current Super-Kamiokande bounds for SUSY breaking scale $M_{\text{SUSY}} \gtrsim 12.5$ TeV. We show that with minimal K\"ahler potential, the soft supersymmetry breaking terms play a vital role in bringing the scalar spectral index $n_s$ within the Planck's latest bounds, although with small tensor modes $r \lesssim 2.5 \times 10^{-6}$ and $SU(5)$ gauge symmetry breaking scale in the range ($2 \times 10^{15} \lesssim M_{\alpha} \lesssim 2 \times 10^{16}$) GeV. By employing non-minimal terms in the K\"ahler potential, the tensor-to-scalar ratio approaches observable values ($r \lesssim 10^{-3}$) with the $SU(5)$ symmetry breaking scale $M_{\alpha} \simeq 2 \times 10^{16}$ GeV., Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures

We analyse the shifted hybrid inflation in a no-scale SU(5) model with supersymmetry, which naturally circumvents the monopole problem. The no-scale framework is derivable as the effective field theory of the supersymmetric (SUSY) compactifications of string theory, and it yields a flat potential with no anti-de Sitter vacua, resolving the $\eta$ problem. The model predicts a scalar spectral tilt $n_s$ compatible with the most recent measurements by the Planck satellite, while also accommodating observable values of the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ ($\sim 0.0015$), potentially measurable by the near-future experiments. Moreover, the proton decay lifetime in the presence of the dimension-5 operators is found to lie above the current limit imposed by the Super-Kamiokande experiment. A realistic scenario of reheating and non-thermal leptogenesis is invoked, wherein the reheating temperature $T_r$ lies in the $\{2 \times 10^6 \lesssim T_r \lesssim 2 \times 10^9\}$ GeV range, and at the same time the gravitino makes a viable dark matter (DM) candidate., Comment: 25 pages,6 figures

We revisit the hybrid inflation model gauged by $U(1)_{B-L}$ extension of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) in a no-scale background. Considering a single predictive framework, we study inflation, leptogenesis, gavitino cosmology, and the stochastic background of gravitational waves produced by metastable cosmic strings. The spontaneous breaking of $U(1)_{B-L}$ at the end of inflation produces a network of metastable cosmic strings while, the interaction between $U(1)_{B-L}$ Higgs field and the neutrinos generate heavy Majorana masses for the right-handed neutrinos. The heavy Majorana masses explain the tiny neutrino masses via the seesaw mechanism, a realistic scenario for reheating and non-thermal leptogenesis. We show that a successful non-thermal leptogenesis and a stable gravitino as a dark matter candidate can be achieved for a wide range of reheating temperatures and $U(1)_{B-L}$ symmetry breaking scales. The possibility of realizing metastable cosmic strings in a grand unified theory (GUT) setup is briefly discussed. We find that a successful reheating with non-thermal leptogenesis and gravitino dark matter restrict the allowed values of string tension to a narrow range $10^{-9} \lesssim G\mu_{CS} \lesssim 8 \times 10^{-6}$, predicting a stochastic gravitational-wave background that lies within the 1-$\sigma$ bounds of the recent NANOGrav 12.5-yr data, as well as within the sensitivity bounds of future GW experiments., Comment: 26 pages, 5 figures

We realize smooth hybrid inflation in the framework of supersymmetric $SU(5) \times U(1)_{\chi}\subset SO(10)$ model which provides a natural solution to the monopole problem appearing in the spontaneous symmetry breaking of $SU(5)$. The breaking of $U(1)_{\chi}$ symmetry leaves a residual discrete $Z_2$ symmetry, that serves as the MSSM matter parity, realizing the possibility of the lightest supersymmetric particle as a cold dark matter candidate. The $d = 5$ proton lifetime for the decay $p \rightarrow K^+ \bar{\nu}$, mediated by color-triplet Higgsinos is found to satisfy current experimental bounds if split-high scale SUSY scenario is employed. We show that with minimal K\"ahler potential, the soft supersymmetry breaking terms play a vital r\^ole in bringing the scalar spectral index $n_s$ within the Planck's latest bounds. In a minimal K\"ahler potential setup, small values of tensor-to-scalar ratio $r \lesssim 3.5 \times 10^{-7}$ are obtained, whereas the gravitino mass turns out to be in the range that favors PeV scale SUSY but is not sufficiently high to avoid the $d = 5$ proton decay. A non-minimal K\"ahler potential including higher-order corrections is required to realize successful inflation with central value of scalar spectral index $n_s = 0.9655$, large tensor modes $r \lesssim 0.056$ and a low reheat temperature $(3\times 10^{6} \lesssim T_r \lesssim 6.5 \times 10^7 )$ GeV consistent with leptogenesis and baryogenesis., Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures

We study the formation of primordial black hole (PBH) dark matter and the generation of scalar induced secondary gravitational waves (SIGWs) in a non-supersymmetric model of hybrid inflation with chaotic (polynomial-like) potential, including one-loop radiative corrections. A radiatively corrected version of these models is entirely consistent with Planck's data. By adding non-canonical kinetic energy term in the lagrangian, the inflaton experiences a period of ultra-slow-roll, and the amplitude of primordial power spectrum is enhanced to $O(10^{-2})$. The enhanced power spectra of primordial curvature perturbations can have both sharp and broad peaks. %In the enhancement mechanism we explore two possible extensions by employing a Guassian and a step size kinetic function. A wide mass range of PBHs is realized in our model with the frequencies of scalar induced gravitational waves ranged from nHz to kHz. We present several benchmark points where the PBH mass generated during inflation is around $(1 - 100) \, M_{\odot}$, $(10^{-9} - 10^{-7}) \, M_{\odot}$ and $(10^{-16} - 10^{-11}) \, M_{\odot}$. The PBHs can make up most of the dark matter with masses around $(10^{-16} - 10^{-11}) \, M_{\odot}$ and $(1 - 100) \, M_{\odot}$, and their associated SIGWs can be probed by the upcoming ground and space-based gravitational wave (GW) observatories. The evidence of stochastic process recently reported by NANOGrav may be interpreted as SIGWs associated with the formation of PBHs. These SIGWs may also be tested by future interferometer-type GW observations of SKA, DECIGO, LISA, BBO, TaiJi, TianQin, CE and ET.

We revisit supersymmetric hybrid inflation in the context of flipped $SU(5)$ model. With minimal superpotential and minimal K\"ahler potential, and soft SUSY masses of order $(1 - 100)$ TeV, compatibility with the Planck data yields a symmetry breaking scale $M$ of flipped $SU(5)$ close to $(2 - 4) \times 10^{15}$ GeV. This disagrees with the lower limit $M \gtrsim 7 \times 10^{15}$ GeV set from proton decay searches by the Super-Kamiokande collaboration. We show how $M$ close to the unification scale $2\times 10^{16}$ GeV can be reconciled with SUSY hybrid inflation by employing a non-minimal K\"ahler potential. Proton decays into $e^+ \pi^0$ with an estimated lifetime of order $10^{36}$ years. The tensor to scalar ratio $r$ in this case can approach observable values $\sim 10^{-4} - 10^{-3}$., Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures

A scheme of simplified smooth hybrid inflation is realized in the framework of supersymmetric $SU(5)$. The smooth model of hybrid inflation provides a natural solution to the monopole problem that appears in the breaking of $SU(5)$ gauge symmetry. The supergravity corrections with nonminimal K\"ahler potential are shown to play important role in realizing inflation with a red-tilted scalar spectral index $n_s <1$, within Planck's latest bounds. As compared to shifted model of hybrid inflation, relatively large values of the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r \lesssim 0.01$ are achieved here, with nonminimal couplings $-0.05 \lesssim \kappa_S \lesssim 0.01$ and $-1 \lesssim \kappa_{SS} \lesssim 1$ and the gauge symmetry-breaking scale $M \simeq (2.0 - 16.7) \times 10^{16}$ GeV., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, minor revisions to match published version