Inflation with $0 \leq c_{\rm s} \leq 1$

Abstract

We investigate a novel single field inflationary scenario which allows a transition between a slow-roll k-inflation with $c_{\rm s}$ of order unity and a ghost inflation with $ c_{\rm s} \simeq 0$, where $ c_{\rm s}$ is the sound speed for the curvature perturbations. We unify the two phases smoothly by appropriately taking into account a higher derivative scordatura term, which is always there from the effective field theory point of view but which becomes important only in the $c_{\rm s} \simeq 0$ regime. The model achieves the whole range of $0 \leq c_{\rm s} \leq 1$ avoiding strong coupling and gradient instability, and allows us to access the $c_{\rm s} \simeq 0$ regime in a self-consistent manner. We also discuss implications to the formation of primordial black holes.