Starobinsky inflation in the swampland

Abstract

Abstract We argue that the Starobinsky model of inflation, realised via an R 2 term in the Lagrangian, can originate from quantum effects due to a tower of light species. By means of two separate arguments, we show how this implies that the scale of the R 2 term must be of order of the species scale Λs, namely the energy at which gravity becomes strongly coupled. We discuss the implications and challenges of this scenario for inflation, inflationary reheating, and string theory embeddings. In this context, we collect strong evidence to conclude that Starobinsky inflation lies in the Swampland.

Keywords

• Cosmological models
• Early Universe Particle Physics
• String and Brane Phenomenology