1. Inflation - Predictions and constraints Kate Land

2. Simple model

3. General properties cf: Planck scale ~ 10 19 GeV GUT ~ 10 15 GeV (r ~ 10 -6 ) Current constraint V 1/4 < 2.6 x 10 16 GeV Bpol limitV 1/4 > 6 x 10 15 GeV Lyth bound

4. Models Small field (from symmetry breaking models) Large field (from chaotic initial conditions) Hybrid (more than one field) Tegmark et al. astro-ph/0310723Tegmark et al. astro-ph/0608032

5. Kinney et al. astro-ph/0605338

6. Simplicity? Boyle, Steinhardt, Turok astro-ph/0507455

7. Initial conditions Linde hep-th/0503195 ‘Natural’ to expect large V Large friction term

8. Other options Eternal inflation What are the predictions? Can start anytime and then will dominate DBI/Brane-inflation (Bean et al. 2007, Lidsey & Seery 2007) Different consistency relation High f NL OR r Ekpyrotic No gravitational waves Unexpected features (glitches) Cosmic strings

9. Discussion A detection of r would be incompatible with current supersymmetry models + particle physics theory Arguments based on ‘simplicity’ and ‘naturalness’ predict it detectable WMAP3 tentatively favours detectable r (?!) Brane cosmology is making predictions we could probe Gravitational waves is the NEXT confrontation of inflation Dischord cannot be settled another way!!