Standard Model Higgs Inflation

Abstract

In this work, the possibility of the StandardModel Higgs inflation is considered. Similar to the other models of inflation, if the minimal coupling of Higgs with gravity is considered, it is necessary to assume an extremely small self-coupling of Higgs (of the order of 10¡13), which leads to the required mass limit of the Higgs particle below the acceptable range. In order to solve the small self-coupling problem of the Higgs particle, it is required to add a non-minimal coupling term, »Á2R/2, with a very large coupling constant, » Æ 104. Calculations are made in the Einstein frame using a conformal transformation. The classical results for inflationary parameters are also revised which come out to be independent of the Higgs mass and are in good agreement with the cosmological data. However, the quantum analysis is not only strongly affected by the various parameters of the Standard Model but also the energy scale of inflation becomes larger than the cutoff scale, which is a challenge in this analysis. To resolve this challenge, the Higgs field is perturbed around a non-zero background field value. Consequently, the energy scale of inflation comes within the cutoff scale range.