Constraining the inflationary action with cosmological observations

          @misc{ scivideos_PIRSA:08060133,
            doi = {10.48660/08060133},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/08060133},
            author = {Geshnizjani, Ghazal},
            keywords = {Quantum Fields and Strings, Particle Physics, Cosmology},
            language = {en},
            title = {Constraining the inflationary action with cosmological observations},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics},
            year = {2008},
            month = {jun},
            note = {PIRSA:08060133 see, \url{https://scivideos.org/pirsa/08060133}}
          }
          

Abstract

If inflation is to be considered in an unbiased way, as possibly originating from one of a wide range of underlying theories,then observations need not be simply applied to reconstructing the inflaton potential, V(phi), or a specific kinetic term, as in DBI inflation, but rather to reconstruct the inflationary action in its entirety. I will discuss the constraints that can be placed on a generalsingle field action from measurements of the primordial scalar and tensor fluctuation power spectra and non-Gaussianities. I will also briefly present the flow equation formalism for reconstructing a general inflationary Lagrangian, in a general gauge, that reduces to canonical and DBI inflation in a specific gauge.