Recent Progress on Inflation and Dark Energy from String Theory

Abstract: I will review recent progress in string cosmology. I will describe the main features of a class of models where the inflaton is a type IIB Kaehler modulus with an approximate shift symmetry. I will illustrate how reheating can occur via the perturbative decay of the modulus into visible and hidden degrees of freedom, paying attention to the production of dark radiation. I will discuss the status of de Sitter vacua versus quintessence model building in string theory, analysing the level of control and the main challenges faced by models of dynamical dark energy. I will finally present a working model of axion hilltop quintessence in string theory.

condensed mattergeneral relativity and quantum cosmologyHEP - latticeHEP - theorymathematical physicsquantum physics

Audience: researchers in the topic

Quantum Theories of Fields, Matter, and Strings

Series comments: A series of talks covering a broad range of topics in theoretical physics, including high energy theory, condensed matter, and string theory.

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