The SM Higgs as the origin of the hot Big Bang

Under general circumstances, the Standard Model (SM) Higgs is excited in the form of a condensate during or towards the end of inflation. The Higgs condensate is then forced to decay afterwards — due to non-perturbative effects — into the rest of the SM species. I will present the cosmological implications of this primordial decay, quantifying the necessary conditions to achieve a successful mechanism for 'reheating’ the Universe into the SM. If there is enough time, I will also discuss the implications for primordial gravitational waves.