Quantum corrections to slow roll inflation and new scaling of superhorizon fluctuations

Abstract

Precise cosmological data from WMAP and forthcoming CMB experiments motivate the study of the quantum corrections to the slowroll inflationary parameters.We find the quantum (loop) corrections to the equations of motion of the classical inflaton, its quantum fluctuations and the Friedmann equation in general single field slow roll inflation.We implement a renormalized effective field theory EFT approach based on an expansion in (H/M_{Pl})^2 and slow roll parameters epsilon_V,eta_V,sigma_V, xi_V.We find that the leading order quantum corrections to the inflaton effective potential and its equation of motion are determined by the power spectrum of scalar fluctuations. Its near scale invariance introduces a strong infrared behavior naturally regularized by the slow roll parameter Delta = eta_V-epsilon_V=(n_s-1)/2+r/8.To leading order in the EFT and slow roll expansions we find V_{eff}(Phi_0)=V_R(Phi_0)[1+(Delta^2_T/32)(n_s-1+3r/8) /(n_s-1+r/4)+higher orders]where n_s and r=Delta^2_T/Delta^2_R are the CMB observables that depend implicitly on Phi_0, and V_R(Phi_0) is the renormalized classical inflaton potential.This effective potential during slow roll inflation is strikingly different from the Minkowski space-time result.Superhorizon scalar field fluctuations grow for late times eta -> 0^- as |η|^{-1+Delta-d_} where d_ is a novel quantum correction to the scaling exponent related to the self decay of superhorizon inflaton fluctuations eta is the conformal time. We generalize this to the case of the inflaton interacting with a light scalar field. These quantum corrections arising from interactions will compete with higher order slow-roll corrections and must be taken into account for the precision determination of inflationary parameters.