Abstract

We review the theory of inflation with single and multiple fields paying particular attention to the dynamics of adiabatic and entropy/isocurvature perturbations which provide the primary means of testing inflationary models. We review the theory and phenomenology of reheating and preheating after inflation providing a unified discussion of both the gravitational and nongravitational features of multi-field inflation. In addition we cover inflation in theories with extra dimensions and models such as the curvaton scenario and modulated reheating which provide alternative ways of generating large-scale density perturbations. Finally we discuss the interesting observational implications that can result from adiabatic-isocurvature correlations and non-Gaussianity.

Keywords

PhysicsAdiabatic processInflation (cosmology)Phenomenology (philosophy)Theoretical physicsStatistical physicsGravitationNon-GaussianityClassical mechanicsQuantum mechanics

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Publication Info

Year
2006
Type
article
Volume
78
Issue
2
Pages
537-589
Citations
968
Access
Closed

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Cite This

Bruce A. Bassett, Shinji Tsujikawa, David Wands (2006). Inflation dynamics and reheating. Reviews of Modern Physics , 78 (2) , 537-589. https://doi.org/10.1103/revmodphys.78.537

Identifiers

DOI
10.1103/revmodphys.78.537