What does Inflation say about Dark Energy given the Swampland Conjectures?

Abstract

We discuss the relations between swampland conjectures and observational constraints on both inflation and dark energy. Using the requirement $|\nabla V|\ge cV$, with $c$ as a universal constant whose value can be derived from inflation, there may be no observable distinction between constant and non-constant models of dark energy. However, the latest modification of the above conjecture, which utilizes the second derivative of the potential, opens up the opportunity for observations to determine if the dark energy equation of state deviates from that of a cosmological constant. We also comment on the observability of tensor fluctuations despite the conjecture that field excursions are smaller than the Planck scale.

Comments: 5+3 pages, 2 figures