We propose a new mechanism to dynamically select the electroweak scale during inflation. An axionlike field $\varphi$ that couples quadratically to the Higgs moves with a large initial velocity towards a critical point ${\varphi }_c$ where the Higgs becomes massless. When $\varphi$ crosses this point, it enters a region where the Higgs mass is tachyonic and this results into an explosive production of Higgs particles. Consequently, a backreaction potential is generated and the field $\varphi$ is attracted back to ${\varphi }_c$. After a series of oscillations around this point it is eventually trapped in its vicinity due to the periodic term of the potential. The model avoids trans-Planckian field excursions, requires very few $e$-folds of inflation and it is compatible with inflation scales up to ${10}^5\mathrm{GeV}$. The mass of $\varphi$ lies in the range of hundreds of GeV to a few TeV and it can be potentially probed in future colliders.

• Received 29 October 2022
• Revised 16 January 2023
• Accepted 3 April 2023

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.107.L071701

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Published by the American Physical Society