Observational constraints on mutated hilltop inflation (2412.12203v1)

Abstract: Here, a single field inflationary model driven by a mutated hilltop potential, as a subclass of the hilltop models of inflation, is investigated. In order to constrain the parameter space of the model, the $r-n_{\rm s}$ constraint of Planck and BICEP/Keck 2018 data as well as the reheating parameters such as the duration $N_{\rm{re}}$, the temperature $T_{\rm{re}}$, and the equation of state parameter $\omega_{\rm{re}}$, are employed. In addition, a model independent bound on the duration of the radiation dominated (RD) era $N_{\rm{rd}}$ is applied to improve the parameter space. Furthermore, the density spectra of relic gravitational waves (GWs) in light of the sensitivity domains of GW detectors, for specific inflationary durations $N$, are analyzed. Finally, by combining constraints from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), reheating, RD era, and relic GWs, the permissible inflationary duration is constrained to $46\leq N \leq 56$ (95\% CL) and $48.1\leq N\leq 56$ (68\% CL). Moreover, the model parameter $\alpha$ is confined to $0.161\leq\alpha \leq 0.890$ (95\% CL) and $0.217\leq\alpha \leq 0.815$ (68\% CL).