Trapped quintessential inflation in the context of flux compactifications

We present a model for quintessential inflation using a string modulus for the inflaton-quintessence field. The scalar potential of our model is based on generic non-perturbative potentials arising in flux compactifications. We assume an enhanced symmetry point (ESP), which fixes the initial conditions for slow roll inflation. When crossing the ESP the modulus becomes temporarily trapped, which leads to a brief stage of trapped inflation. This is followed by enough slow roll inflation to solve the flatness and horizon problems. After inflation, the field rolls down the potential and eventually freezes to a certain value because of cosmological friction. The latter is due to the thermal bath of the hot big bang, which is produced by the decay of a curvaton field. The modulus remains frozen until the present, when it becomes quintessence. © IOP Publishing Ltd.