Inflation and Reheating in Spontaneously Generated Gravity
  Inflation is studied in the context of induced gravity (IG) $\gamma \sigma^2
R$, where $R$ is the Ricci scalar, $\sigma$ a scalar field and $\gamma$ a
dimensionless constant, and diverse symmetry-breaking potentials $V(\sigma)$
are considered. In particular we compared the predictions for Landau-Ginzburg
(LG) and Coleman-Weinberg (CW) type potentials and their possible
generalizations with the most recent data. We find that large field inflation
generally leads to fewer constraints on the parameters and the shape of the
potential whereas small field inflation is more problematic and, if viable,
implies more constraints, in particular on the parameter $\gamma$. We also
examined the reheating phase and obtained an accurate analytical solution for
the dynamics of inflaton and the Hubble parameter by using a multiple scale
analysis (MSA). The solutions were then used to study the average expansion of
the Universe, the average equation of state for the scalar field and both the
perturbative and resonant decays of the inflaton field.
