Inflaton potential reconstruction in the braneworld scenario

Abstract

We consider inflaton potential reconstruction in the context of the simplest braneworld scenario, where both the Friedmann equation and the form of scalar and tensor perturbations are modified at high energies. We derive the reconstruction equations, and analyze them analytically in the high-energy limit and numerically for the general case. As previously shown by Huey and Lidsey, the consistency equation between scalar and tensor perturbations is unchanged in the braneworld scenario. We show that this leads to a perfect degeneracy in reconstruction, whereby a different viable potential can be obtained for any value of the brane tension $λ$. Accordingly, the initial perturbations alone cannot be used to distinguish the braneworld scenario from the usual Einstein gravity case.