funnel (2 M$_{˜}$ χ 1 0 ≃ M$_{A}$ $^{0}$,H0 ). 

The mSUGRA parameter space in Figs. (12), for tan β = 10 and 40 with the udd flat direction using λ = 1. In the figures, we show contours correspond to n$_{s}$ = 1 for the maximum value of δ$_{H}$ = 2 . 03 × 10 − 5 (at 2 σ level) and n$_{s}$ = 1 . 0 , 0 . 98 , 0 . 96 for δ$_{H}$ = 1 . 91 × 10 − $^{5}$. It is also interesting to note that the allowed region of m$_{φ}$ , as required by the inflation data for λ = 1 lies in the stau-neutralino coannihilation region which requires smaller values of the SUSY particle masses. See Fig. (9), where both co-annihilation and focus point regions have been illustrated for λ ∼ 1 − 0 . 02. 

The SUSY particles in this parameter space are, therefore, within the reach of the LHC very quickly. The detection of the region at the LHC has been considered in [737]. From the figures, one can also find that as tan β increases, the inflation data along with the dark matter, rare decay and Higgs mass constraint allow smaller ranges of m$_{1}$$_{/}$$_{2}$ . For example, the allowed ranges of gluino masses are 765 GeV-2.1 TeV and 900 GeV-1.7 TeV for tan β = 10 and 40 respectively. Now if λ is small, i.e. λ < ∼ 10 − $^{1}$, the allowed values of m$_{φ}$ would be large. In this case the dark matter allowed region requires the lightest neutralino to have larger Higgsino component in the mSUGRA model. 

## 2. Can dark matter be the inflaton? 

If the reheat temperature of the universe is higher than the mass of the inflaton, then the plasma upon reheating will, in addition, have a thermal distribution of the inflaton quanta. If the inflaton is absolutely stable, due to some symmetry, then it can also serve as the cold dark matter. One such example, NH$_{u}$L as an observable sector inflaton is an interesting scenario, as it can explain successful inflation, exciting SM quarks and leptons, the observed neutrino masses via Dirac coupling and the right handed sneutrino, ˜ N , as a dark matter candidate [716]. 

It is well known that for particles with gauge interactions, the unitarity bound puts an absolute upper bound on the dark matter mass to be less than ∼ 100 TeV [341]. Once the temperature drops below the inflaton mass, its quanta undergo thermal freeze-out and yield the correct dark matter abundance. Furthermore, scatterings via the new U $^{(1)$_{B}$}$− L gauge interactions also bring the right handed sneutrino into thermal equilibrium. Note that part of the inflaton, i.e. its ˜ N component see Eq. (334), has never decayed; only the coherence 

