Warm inflation, neutrinos and dark matter: a minimal extension of the Standard Model

Abstract

Abstract We show that warm inflation can be realized within a minimal extension of the Standard Model with three right-handed neutrinos, three complex scalars and a gauged lepton/B-L U(1) symmetry. This simple model can address all the shortcomings of the Standard Model that are not related to fine-tuning, within general relativity, with distinctive experimental signatures that can be probed in the near future. The inflaton field emerges from the collective breaking of the U(1) symmetry, and interacts with two of the right-handed neutrinos, sustaining a high-temperature radiation bath during inflation. The discrete interchange symmetry of the model protects the scalar potential against large thermal corrections and leads to a stable inflaton remnant at late times which can account for dark matter. Consistency of the model and agreement with Cosmic Microwave Background observations naturally yield light neutrino masses below 0.1 eV, while thermal leptogenesis occurs naturally after a smooth exit from inflation into the radiation era.