Advances in Inflation in String Theory

Abstract

We provide a pedagogical overview of inflation in string theory. Our theme is the sensitivity of inflation to Planck-scale physics, which we argue provides both the primary motivation and the central theoretical challenge for the subject. We illustrate these issues through two case studies of inflationary scenarios in string theory: warped D-brane inflation and axion monodromy inflation. Finally, we indicate how future observations can test scenarios of inflation in string theory.

Comments: 60 pages, 1 figure. Invited review to appear in Annu. Rev. Nuc. Part. Sci