Observational constraints on new exact inflationary scalar-field solutions

Abstract

An algorithm is used to generate new solutions of the scalar-field equations in homogeneous and isotropic universes. Solutions can be found for pure scalar fields with various potentials in the absence and presence of spatial curvature and other perfect fluids. A series of generalizations of the Chaplygin gas and bulk viscous cosmological solutions for inflationary universes are found. Furthermore other closed-form solutions which provide inflationary universes are presented. We also show how the Hubble slow-roll parameters can be calculated using the solution algorithm and we compare these inflationary solutions with the observational data provided by the Planck 2015 collaboration in order to constrain and rule out some of these models.