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Register a new userGauging scale symmetry and inflation: Weyl versus Palatini gravity
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D. M. Ghilencea
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We present a comparative study of inflation in two theories of quadratic gravity with {it gauged} scale symmetry: 1) the original Weyl quadratic gravity and 2) the theory defined by a similar action but in the Palatini approach obtained by replacing the Weyl connection by its Palatini counterpart. These theories have different vectorial non-metricity induced by the gauge field ($w_mu$) of this symmetry. Both theories have a novel spontaneous breaking of gauged scale symmetry, in the absence of matter, where the necessary scalar field is not added ad-hoc to this purpose but is of geometric origin and part of the quadratic action. The Einstein-Proca action (of $w_mu$), Planck scale and metricity emerge in the broken phase after $w_mu$ acquires mass (Stueckelberg mechanism), then decouples. In the presence of matter ($phi_1$), non-minimally coupled, the scalar potential is similar in both theories up to couplings and field rescaling. For small field values the potential is Higgs-like while for large fields inflation is possible. Due to their $R^2$ term, both theories have a small tensor-to-scalar ratio ($rsim 10^{-3}$), larger in Palatini case. For a fixed spectral index $n_s$, reducing the non-minimal coupling ($xi_1$) increases $r$ which in Weyl theory is bounded from above by that of Starobinsky inflation. For a small enough $xi_1leq 10^{-3}$, unlike the Palatini version, Weyl theory gives a dependence $r(n_s)$ similar to that in Starobinsky inflation, while also protecting $r$ against higher dimensional operators corrections.
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We study quadratic gravity $R^2+R_{[mu u]}^2$ in the Palatini formalism where the connection and the metric are independent. This action has a {it gauged} scale symmetry (also known as Weyl gauge symmetry) of Weyl gauge field $v_mu= (tildeGamma_mu-Gamma_mu)/2$, with $tildeGamma_mu$ ($Gamma_mu$) the trace of the Palatini (Levi-Civita) connection, respectively. The underlying geometry is non-metric due to the $R_{[mu u]}^2$ term acting as a gauge kinetic term for $v_mu$. We show that this theory has an elegant spontaneous breaking of gauged scale symmetry and mass generation in the absence of matter, where the necessary scalar field ($phi$) is not added ad-hoc to this purpose but is extracted from the $R^2$ term. The gauge field becomes massive by absorbing the derivative term $partial_mulnphi$ of the Stueckelberg field (dilaton). In the broken phase one finds the Einstein-Proca action of $v_mu$ of mass proportional to the Planck scale $Msim langlephirangle$, and a positive cosmological constant. Below this scale $v_mu$ decouples, the connection becomes Levi-Civita and metricity and Einstein gravity are recovered. These results remain valid in the presence of non-minimally coupled scalar field (Higgs-like) with Palatini connection and the potential is computed. In this case the theory gives successful inflation and a specific prediction for the tensor-to-scalar ratio $0.007leq r leq 0.01$ for current spectral index $n_s$ (at $95%$CL) and N=60 efolds. This value of $r$ is mildly larger than in inflation in Weyl quadratic gravity of similar symmetry, due to different non-metricity. This establishes a connection between non-metricity and inflation predictions and enables us to test such theories by future CMB experiments.
Scalar fields, $phi_i$ can be coupled non-minimally to curvature and satisfy the general criteria: (i) the theory has no mass input parameters, including the Planck mass; (ii) the $phi_i$ have arbitrary values and gradients, but undergo a general expansion and relaxation to constant values that satisfy a nontrivial constraint, $K(phi_i) =$ constant; (iii) this constraint breaks scale symmetry spontaneously, and the Planck mass is dynamically generated; (iv) there can be adequate inflation associated with slow roll in a scale invariant potential subject to the constraint; (v) the final vacuum can have a small to vanishing cosmological constant (vi) large hierarchies in vacuum expectation values can naturally form; (vii) there is a harmless dilaton which naturally eludes the usual constraints on massless scalars. These models are governed by a global Weyl scale symmetry and its conserved current, $K_mu$ . At the quantum level the Weyl scale symmetry can be maintained by an invariant specification of renormalized quantities.
We study quantum effects in Higgs inflation in the Palatini formulation of gravity, in which the metric and connection are treated as independent variables. We exploit the fact that the cutoff, above which perturbation theory breaks down, is higher than the scale of inflation. Unless new physics above the cutoff leads to unnaturally large corrections, we can directly connect low-energy physics and inflation. On the one hand, the lower bound on the top Yukawa coupling due to collider experiments leads to an upper bound on the non-minimal coupling of the Higgs field to gravity: $xi lesssim 10^8$. On the other hand, the Higgs potential can only support successful inflation if $xi gtrsim 10^6$. This leads to a fairly strict upper bound on the top Yukawa coupling of $0.925$ (defined in the $overline{text{MS}}$-scheme at the energy scale $173.2,text{GeV}$) and constrains the inflationary prediction for the tensor-to-scalar ratio. Additionally, we compare our findings to metric Higgs inflation.
We introduce a minimal and yet comprehensive framework with $CP$- and classical scale-symmetries, in order to simultaneously address the hierarchy problem, neutrino masses, dark matter, and inflation. One complex gauge singlet scalar and three flavors of the right-handed Majorana neutrinos are added to the standard model content, facilitating the see-saw mechanism, among others. An adimensional theory of gravity (Agravity) is employed, allowing for the trans-Planckian field excursions. The weak and Planck scales are induced by the Higgs portal and the scalar non-minimal couplings, respectively, once a Coleman-Weinberg dynamically-generated vacuum expectation value for the singlet scalar is obtained. All scales are free from any mutual quadratic destabilization. The $CP$-symmetry prevents a decay of the pseudoscalar singlet, rendering it a suitable WIMPzilla dark matter candidate with the correct observational relic abundance. Identifying the pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson of the (approximate) scale symmetry with the inflaton field, the model accommodates successful slow-roll inflation, compatible with the observational data. We reach the conclusion that a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone inflaton, within a classically scale-symmetric framework, yields lighter WIMPzillas.
In the context of the Palatini formalism of gravity with an $R^{2}$ term, a $phi^{2}$ potential can be consistent with the observed bound on $r$ whilst retaining the successful prediction for $n_{s}$. Here we show that the Palatini $phi^{2} R^2$ inflation model can also solve the super-Planckian inflaton problem of $phi^{2}$ chaotic inflation, and that the model can be consistent with Planck scale-suppressed potential corrections. If $alpha gtrsim 10^{12}$, where $alpha$ is the coefficient of the $R^2$ term, the inflaton in the Einstein frame, $sigma$, remains sub-Planckian throughout inflation. In addition, if $alpha gtrsim 10^{20}$ then the predictions of the model are unaffected by Planck-suppressed potential corrections in the case where there is a broken shift symmetry, and if $alpha gtrsim 10^{32}$ then the predictions are unaffected by Planck-suppressed potential corrections in general. The value of $r$ is generally small, with $r lesssim 10^{-5}$ for $alpha gtrsim 10^{12}$. We calculate the maximum possible reheating temperature, $T_{R;max}$, corresponding to instantaneous reheating. For $alpha approx 10^{32}$, $T_{R; max}$ is approximately $10^{10}$ GeV, with larger values of $T_{R;max}$ for smaller $alpha$. For the case of instantaneous reheating, we show that $n_{s}$ is in agreement with the 2018 Planck results to within 1-$sigma$, with the exception of the $alpha approx 10^{32}$ case, which is close to the 2-$sigma$ lower bound. Following inflation, the inflaton condensate is likely to rapidly fragment and form oscillons. Reheating via inflaton decays to right-handed neutrinos can easily result in instantaneous reheating. We determine the scale of unitarity violation and show that, in general, unitarity is conserved during inflation.
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