arXiv subjects

Anshuman Maharana

Publications and source records attributed to Anshuman Maharana.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

A Faster Growth of Perturbations in an Early Matter Dominated Epoch: Primordial Black Holes and Gravitational Waves

We present a scenario for fast growth of cosmological perturbations; $δ(t) \sim a(t)^s$, $a(t)$ being the scale factor, with $s > 10$ for the numerical examples reported in this article. The basic ingredients of the scenario are an early matter dominated era and the dark fermion which experiences a scalar mediated force during the epoch. Both of these arise in string/supergravity models. The fast growth occurs for sub-horizon density perturbations of the dark fermion. The fast growth has a rich set of phenomenological implications. We outline implications for the formation of primordial black holes and the production of gravitational waves. Primordial black holes in the sub-lunar mass range (which are ideal dark matter candidates) can be produced. Gravitational waves can be produced in a wide range of frequencies due to second order scalar perturbations and due to evaporation and merger of primordial black holes.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

On the Search for Low $W_0$

The magnitude of the vacuum expectation value of the Gukov-Vafa-Witten superpotential $|W_0|$ plays a central role in the phenomenology of type IIB flux compactifications. Recent analytical constructions have shown that perturbatively flat vacua can be used to obtain very low values of $|W_0|$. We present systematic algorithms to carry out exhaustive numerical searches for such vacua. We also analyse them in the statistical context, as part of the entire ensemble of type IIB flux vacua at low $|W_0|$. Our preliminary analysis indicates that these perturbatively flat vacua are statistically sparse in the whole set of vacua at low $|W_0|$ as calculated by Denef and Douglas. Two-moduli examples are used to illustrate these more general findings in specific settings. We find that these simple cases are good examples for existence proofs but they do not feature a large statistical tuning freedom for phenomenological applications.

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arXiv2021

Moduli Stabilisation and the Statistics of Axion Physics in the Landscape

String theory realisations of the QCD axion are often said to belong to the anthropic window where the decay constant is around the GUT scale and the initial misalignment angle has to be tuned close to zero. In this paper we revisit this statement by studying the statistics of axion physics in the string landscape. We take moduli stabilisation properly into account since the stabilisation of the saxions is crucial to determine the physical properties of the corresponding axionic partners. We focus on the model-independent case of closed string axions in type IIB flux compactifications and find that their decay constants and mass spectrum feature a logarithmic, instead of a power-law, distribution. In the regime where the effective field theory is under control, most of these closed string axions are ultra-light axion-like particles, while axions associated to blow-up modes can naturally play the role of the QCD axion. Hence, the number of type IIB flux vacua with a closed string QCD axion with an intermediate scale decay constant and a natural value of the misalignment angle is only logarithmically suppressed. In a recent paper we found that this correlates also with a logarithmic distribution of the supersymmetry breaking scale, providing the intriguing indication that most, if not all, of the phenomenologically interesting quantities in the string landscape might feature a logarithmic distribution.

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arXiv2020

Fibre inflation and precision CMB data

Generic features of models of inflation obtained from string compactifications are the correlations between the model parameters and the postinflationary evolution of the universe. Thus, the postinflationary evolution depends on the inflationary model parameters and accurate inflationary predictions require that this be incorporated in the evolution of the primordial spectrum. The fibre inflation model is a promising model of inflation constructed in type IIB string theory. This model has two interesting features in its postinflationary evolution. The reheating temperature of the model is directly correlated with the model parameters. The model also necessarily predicts some dark radiation, which can be sizable for certain choices of discrete parameters in the model. We analyze this model in detail using publicly available codes - ModeChord and CosmoMC with the latest Planck+BICEP2/Keck array data to constrain the model parameters and $N_{\rm pivot}$ (the number of $e$-foldings between horizon exit of the CMB pivot mode and the end of inflation). We also carry out the same analysis using the publicly available code Cobaya. We find the results of both the analysis to be in agreement. Our analysis provides the basic methods necessary to extract precise inflationary prediction in string models incorporating correlations between model parameters and postinflationary evolution.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Non-thermal Hot Dark Matter from Inflaton/Moduli Decay: The Momentum Distribution and Relaxing the Cosmological Mass Bound

Decay of the inflaton or moduli which dominated the energy density of the universe at early times leads to a matter to radiation transition epoch. We consider non-thermal sterile dark matter particles produced as decay product during such transitions. The particles have a characteristic energy distribution - that associated with decays taking place in a matter dominated universe evolving to radiation domination. We primarily focus on the case when the particles are hot dark matter, and study their effects on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and Large Scale Structure (LSS), explicitly taking into account their non-thermal momentum distribution. Our results for CMB angular power and linear matter power spectra reveal interesting features - such as an order of magnitude higher values of hot dark matter mass in comparison to the thermal case being consistent with the present data. We observe that this is related to the fact that $ΔN_{\rm eff}$ and the hot DM energy density can be independent of each other unlike the case of thermal or non-resonantly produced sterile hot DM. We also find features in the CMB at low $\ell$ angular power potentially related to supersonic transmission of hot dark matter through the photon-baryon plasma.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Moduli Stabilisation and the Statistics of SUSY Breaking in the Landscape

The statistics of the supersymmetry breaking scale in the string landscape has been extensively studied in the past finding either a power-law behaviour induced by uniform distributions of F-terms or a logarithmic distribution motivated by dynamical supersymmetry breaking. These studies focused mainly on type IIB flux compactifications but did not systematically incorporate the Kähler moduli. In this paper we point out that the inclusion of the Kähler moduli is crucial to understand the distribution of the supersymmetry breaking scale in the landscape since in general one obtains unstable vacua when the F-terms of the dilaton and the complex structure moduli are larger than the F-terms of the Kähler moduli. After taking Kähler moduli stabilisation into account, we find that the distribution of the gravitino mass and the soft terms is power-law only in KKLT and perturbatively stabilised vacua which therefore favour high scale supersymmetry. On the other hand, LVS vacua feature a logarithmic distribution of soft terms and thus a preference for lower scales of supersymmetry breaking. Whether the landscape of type IIB flux vacua predicts a logarithmic or power-law distribution of the supersymmetry breaking scale thus depends on the relative preponderance of LVS and KKLT vacua.

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arXiv2019

Cosmology in the presence of multiple light moduli

The generic expectation in string/supergravity models is that there are multiple moduli fields with masses of the order of the supersymmetry breaking scale. We study the cosmology that arises as a result of vacuum misalignment of these moduli fields (in contrast to previous studies which mostly focussed on the single modulus case). We show that the dark radiation produced from the heavier moduli undergoes significant dilution. This happens even if there is a small splitting between the masses of the lightest and the heavier moduli. On the other hand, in the absence of fast annihilation processes decay of heavier moduli generically leads to overproduction of dark matter. We discuss a scenario where the problem can be addressed with a prompt dark matter annihilation to dark radiation. This can lead to realistic dark matter abundances, and the additional dark radiation produced as a result of this mechanism undergoes sufficient dilution as long as the annihilation is prompt.

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arXiv2019

Crossing, Modular Averages and $N \leftrightarrow k $ in WZW Models

We consider the construction of genus zero correlators of $SU(N)_k$ WZW models involving two Kac Moody primaries in the fundamental and two in the anti-fundamental representation from modular averaging of the contribution of the vacuum conformal block. In cases where we find the orbit of the vacuum conformal block to be finite, modular averaging reproduces the exact result for the correlators. In other cases, we perform the modular averaging numerically, the results are in agreement with the exact answers. We find a close relationship between the modular averaging sums of the theories related by level rank duality. We establish a one to one correspondence between elements of the orbits of the vacuum conformal blocks of dual theories. The contributions of paired terms to their respective correlators are simply related. One consequence of this is that the ratio between the OPE coefficients associated with dual correlators can be obtained analytically without performing the sums involved in the modular averagings. The pairing of terms in the modular averaging sums for dual theories suggests an interesting connection between level rank duality and semi-classical holographic computations of the correlators in the theories.

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arXiv2018

Hidden Sectors in String Theory: Kinetic Mixings, Fifth Forces and Quintessence

Light moduli fields in string compactifications can have interesting implications for particle physics and cosmology. Fifth force bounds impose stringent constraints on the interactions of such moduli with the visible sector. To be consistent with the bounds, they need to be part of hidden sectors which interact with the Standard Model with weaker-than-Planck suppressed interactions. We consider scenarios in which the visible sector degrees of freedom are localised in the compactification and light moduli arise as closed string degrees of freedom associated with hidden sectors which are geometrically separated (in the extra-dimensions) from the Standard Model. Kinetic mixings lead to interactions between the moduli and the visible sector - we compute these using Kaehler potentials of string/M-theory compactifications. We argue that in general these interactions provide a lower bound on the strength of the interactions between the moduli and the visible sector. The interactions scale with inverse powers of the volume of the compactification, thus fifth force bounds can be translated to lower bounds on the volume of the extra-dimensions. We find that compactification volumes have to be large to evade the bounds. This imposes interesting constraints on quintessence model building in string theory. Our results for the strength of the interactions can also be used to quantify the fine-tuning necessary for the stability of the potential of a light modulus against quantum corrections involving visible sector loops.

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arXiv2018

Constraining Non-thermal Dark Matter by CMB

A period of early matter domination can give rise to the correct dark matter abundance for a broad range of dark matter annihilation rate $\langle σ_{\rm ann} v \rangle_{\rm f}$. Here, we examine this scenario for situations where $\langle σ_{\rm ann} v \rangle_{\rm f}$ is below the nominal value for thermal dark matter $3 \times 10^{-26}$ cm$^3$ s$^{-1}$ as possibly indicated by some recent experiments. We show that obtaining the correct relic abundance sets a lower bound on the duration of early matter domination era in this case. On the other hand, provided that the post-inflationary universe has an equation of state characterized by $w \leq 1/3$, the requirement that the scalar spectral index $n_s$ be within the observationally allowed range limits the duration of this epoch from above. By combining these considerations, we show that the current and future cosmic microwave background experiments can tightly constrain the parameter space for this scenario. In particular, models of inflation with a tensor-to-scalar ratio below ${\cal O}(0.01)$ may disfavor non-thermal supersymmetric dark matter from a modulus-driven early matter domination epoch.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2018

De Sitter vs Quintessence in String Theory

De Sitter solutions have been recently conjectured to be incompatible with quantum gravity. In this paper we critically assess the progress and challenges of different mechanisms to obtain de Sitter vacua in string compactifications and compare them to quintessence models. We argue that, despite recent criticisms, de Sitter models reached a level of concreteness and calculational control which has been improving over time. On the other hand, building string models of quintessence appears to be more challenging and requires additional fine-tuning. We discuss the tension between the swampland conjecture and the Higgs potential and find examples which can evade fifth-force bounds even if they seem very hard to realise in string theory. We also comment on the tension with low-redshift data and explore ultra-light axions from string theory as dark energy candidates.

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arXiv2018

Confronting Kähler moduli inflation with CMB data

In models of inflation obtained from string compactification, moduli vacuum misalignment leads to an epoch in the post-inflationary history of the universe when the energy density is dominated by cold moduli particles. This effect leads to a modification in the number of $e$-foldings ($N_{\rm pivot}$) between horizon exit of the CMB modes and the end of inflation. Taking Kähler moduli inflation as a prototype, the shift in $e$-foldings turns out to be a function of the model parameters which also determines the inflationary observables. We analyse this scenario numerically using publicly available {\sc{ModeChord}} and {\sc{CosmoMC}} with the latest \emph{Planck+BICEP2/Keck array} data to constrain the model parameters and $N_{\rm pivot}$. In light of the present and future precision data, the results show the importance of careful consideration of any post-inflationary non-standard epoch, as well as of the effects of reheating.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2018

Post-inflationary Scalar Tensor Cosmology and Inflationary Parameters

Scalar fields provide attractive modifications of pre-BBN cosmology, which have interesting implications for dark matter abundances. We analyse the effect of these modifications on the number of e-foldings between horizon exit of CMB modes and the end of inflation $(N_k)$, and examine the consequences for inflationary predictions of various models. We find significant effects in the predictions in the $(n_s, r)$ plane. For a large part of the parameter space, the shift in $N_k$ is positive; this ameliorates the tension of $m^{2} φ^{2}$ and natural inflation with data.

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arXiv2017

Constraints on Kähler moduli inflation from reheating

We present predictions of the Kähler moduli inflation model for the spectral tilt by parametrising the reheating epoch by an effective equation-of-state parameter and the number of e-foldings of reheating; and taking into account the post-inflationary history of the model. This model has an epoch in which the energy density of the universe is dominated by cold moduli particles. We compare our results with data from the PLANCK mission and find that exotic reheating (with effective equation of state $w_{\rm re}$ greater than 1/3) is required to match the observations. For canonical reheating case with $w_{\rm re} = 0$, we deduce $\text{log}_{10}(T_{\rm re}/10^3~ \text{GeV}) \simeq 1190 (n_s - 0.956)$. We also analyse our results in the context of observations being planned for the future and their projected sensitivities.

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arXiv2016

Inflating Kahler Moduli and Primordial Magnetic Fields

We study the production of primordial magnetic fields in inflationary models in type IIB string theory where the role of the inflaton is played by a Kahler modulus. We consider various possibilities to realise the Standard Model degrees of freedom in this setting and explicitly determine the time dependence of the inflaton coupling to the Maxwell term in the models. Using this we determine the strength and scale dependence of the magnetic fields generated during inflation. The usual "strong coupling problem" for primordial magnetogesis manifests itself by cycle sizes approaching the string scale, this appears in a certain class of fibre inflation models where the standard model is realised by wrapping D7-branes on cycles in the geometric regime.

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arXiv2016

Moduli Vacuum Misalignment and Precise Predictions in String Inflation

The predictions for all the cosmological observables of any inflationary model depend on the number of e-foldings which is sensitive to the post-inflationary history of the universe. In string models the generic presence of light moduli leads to a late-time period of matter domination which lowers the required number of e-foldings and, in turn, modifies the exact predictions of any inflationary model. In this paper we compute exactly the shift of the number of e-foldings in Kaehler moduli inflation which is determined by the magnitude of the moduli initial displacement caused by vacuum misalignment and the moduli decay rates. We find that the preferred number of e-foldings gets reduced from 50 to 45, causing a modification of the spectral index at the percent level. Our results illustrate the importance of understanding the full post-inflationary evolution of the universe in order to derive precise predictions in string inflation. To perform this task it is crucial to work in a setting where there is good control over moduli stabilisation.

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arXiv2015

Accidental Kähler Moduli Inflation

We study a model of accidental inflation in type IIB string theory where inflation occurs near the inflection point of a small Kähler modulus. A racetrack structure helps to alleviate the known concern that string-loop corrections may spoil Kähler Moduli Inflation unless having a significant suppression via the string coupling or a special brane setup. Also, the hierarchy of gauge group ranks required for the separation between moduli stabilization and inflationary dynamics is relaxed. The relaxation becomes more significant when we use the recently proposed D-term generated racetrack model.

hep-th↗

arXiv2015

Inflationary Predictions and Moduli Masses

A generic feature of inflationary models in supergravity/string constructions is vacuum misalignment for the moduli fields. The associated production of moduli particles leads to an epoch in the post-inflationary history in which the energy density is dominated by cold moduli particles. This modification of the post-inflationary history implies that the preferred range for the number of e-foldings between horizon exit of the modes relevant for CMB observations and the end of inflation $(N_k)$ depends on moduli masses. This in turn implies that the precision CMB observables $n_s$ and $r$ are sensitive to moduli masses. We analyse this sensitivity for some representative models of inflation and find the effect to be highly relevant for confronting inflationary models with observations.

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