New observations of polarization in the cosmic background radiation are thought to confirm not only the existence of gravitational waves, but also the hypothesis of cosmic inflation --exponential expansion of space-time in the first instants after the big bang. These observations are said to rule out some models of cosmic inflation while favoring others. Can anyone explain the differences among the favored and disfavored models of inflation? If readers are yet to see the public presentation of the results, you can find it via the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iasqtm1prlI

This is the press conference from March 17, 2014, where the BICEP2 Collaboration presented measurements of B-mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background. These measurements are claimed to represent the first direct evidence of cosmic inflation and the first direct image of primordial gravitational waves.

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