Unified Model for Inflation and Dark Matter

Abstract

We present a model which contains a new complex scalar field $\Psi$, interacting with a new real scalar field, $\chi$, and an effective potential whose symmetry is almost exact, being explicitly broken by Planck-scale effects. We study the possibility of relating {\em inflation} with the {\em dark matter} of the universe. We find that for exponentially small explicit breaking, the model accounts for a period of inflation in the early universe and gives a dark matter candidate particle.

Comments: 16 pages, 2 figures, revtex4; more references added, minor changes in the text