Inflationary scenarios beyond the Standard Model

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to explain in clear and pedagogical terms how some particle-physics models and/or mechanisms can naturally lead to inflation and how this can provide testable predictions that can help us find new physics effects. Two well-established features of theoretical particle physics are linked to an essential property of inflation, a naturally-flat inflaton potential: (1) scale invariance, broken by small quantum corrections, and (2) Goldstone's theorem. It is also illustrated how to combine several scenarios of this type to obtain a rather general particle-physics motivated inflationary setup.

Comments: Invited chapter of the section on Beyond the Standard Model contained in the Encyclopedia of Particle Physics (1st edition, Elsevier). 13 pages. Published version