Cosmological Moduli and Precision CMB Data

Abstract

The speaker studies the behavior of moduli with the mass below the Hubble scale during inflation in the context of the inflationary paradigm and precision CMB data. He finds that consistency of cosmological evolution implies the lighter the modulus (which implies a longer epoch of matter domination driven by cold moduli particles) ,the lower the number of e-foldings during inflation. This tension translates to a lower bound on moduli masses which is significantly stronger than the cosmological moduli problem bound of the 80's, based on big bang nucleosynthesis considerations.