Effects of the speed of sound at large-N
  The implications of a smaller than unity speed of sound of the scalar perturbations during cosmic inflation is studied in terms of a model independent large-$N$ approach. We show that the $(n_s, r)$ plane is non-trivially degenerated when the effects of a different than one speed of sound $c_s$ are taken into account. We also discuss the degeneracies due to $c_s$ in the running of the spectral index, $\alpha_s$. We use the bounds on $c_s$ to constrain such degeneracies. 
Ivonne Zavala
astro-ph.CO hep-ph hep-th