Gauge-flation: Inflation from non-Abelian gauge fields

Inflationary models are usually based on dynamics of one or more scalar fields coupled to gravity. In this work we present a new class of inflationary models, gauge-flation or non-Abelian gauge field inflation, where slow-roll inflation is driven by a non-Abelian gauge field. This class of models is based on a gauge field theory with a generic non-Abelian gauge group minimally coupled to gravity. We then focus on a particular gauge-flation model by specifying the action for the gauge theory. This model has two parameters which can be determined using the current cosmological data and has the prospect of being tested by Planck satellite data. Moreover, the values of these parameters are within the natural range of parameters in generic grand unified theories of particle physics.