Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet inflation and its consistency with ACT observations

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-2026

Abstract

We investigate inflationary dynamics in Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity, focusing on the interplay between the standard Hubble slow–roll parameters and the additional flow parameters induced by a scalar–dependent Gauss–Bonnet coupling. We demonstrate that a prolonged slow–roll inflationary phase free from ghost and gradient instabilities with a natural exit can be realized. As a result, we show that the present model can be consistent with the constraints on the spectral index of the scalar perturbations along with the upper limit placed on the tensor-to-scalar ratio reported by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) observations due to the effect of the higher-order curvature.

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