Not So Minimal Warm Inflation

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bastero-Gil, Mar, Osorio, Pedro García, Manso, António Torres
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866908884038320128
author Bastero-Gil, Mar
Osorio, Pedro García
Manso, António Torres
author_facet Bastero-Gil, Mar
Osorio, Pedro García
Manso, António Torres
contents An axion-like inflaton coupled to non-Abelian gauge bosons provides a compelling microphysical framework for warm inflation. Starting even from cold initial conditions, in these systems, sphaleron heating may generate thermal friction sufficient to sustain finite temperatures throughout the inflationary epoch. Insisting on shift-symmetric potentials, in this work we revisit the viability of these scenarios under the designation of Minimal Warm Inflation. We examine both observational constraints and model-building limitations on models with a hierarchy between the decay constants appearing in the friction rate and in the inflaton potential. We conclude that the popular clockwork mechanism cannot generate the required hierarchy; however, partial-wave unitarity bounds admit effective descriptions that remain consistent with observations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_12856
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Not So Minimal Warm Inflation
Bastero-Gil, Mar
Osorio, Pedro García
Manso, António Torres
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Theory
An axion-like inflaton coupled to non-Abelian gauge bosons provides a compelling microphysical framework for warm inflation. Starting even from cold initial conditions, in these systems, sphaleron heating may generate thermal friction sufficient to sustain finite temperatures throughout the inflationary epoch. Insisting on shift-symmetric potentials, in this work we revisit the viability of these scenarios under the designation of Minimal Warm Inflation. We examine both observational constraints and model-building limitations on models with a hierarchy between the decay constants appearing in the friction rate and in the inflaton potential. We conclude that the popular clockwork mechanism cannot generate the required hierarchy; however, partial-wave unitarity bounds admit effective descriptions that remain consistent with observations.
title Not So Minimal Warm Inflation
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.12856