Starobinsky Inflation: From Non-SUSY to SUGRA Realizations.

We review the realization of Starobinsky-type inflation within induced-gravity supersymmetric (SUSY) and non-SUSY models. In both cases, inflation is in agreement with the current data and can be attained for sub-Planckian values of the inflation. The corresponding effective theories retain perturbative unitarity up to the Planck scale and the inflation mass is predicted to be 3·1013 GeV. The supergravity embedding of these models is achieved by employing two gauge singlet chiral superfields, a superpotential that is uniquely determined by a continuous R and a discrete Zn symmetry and several (semi)logarithmic Kähler potentials that respect these symmetries. Checking various functional forms for the noninflation accompanying field in the Kähler potentials, we identify four cases which stabilize it without invoking higher order terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]