%0 Journal Article %T A New Method of Generating Exact Inflationary Solutions %A Franz E. Schunck %A Eckehard W. Mielke %J Physics %D 1994 %I arXiv %R 10.1103/PhysRevD.50.4794 %X The mechanism of the initial inflation of the universe is based on gravitationally coupled scalar fields $\phi$. Various scenarios are distinguished by the choice of an {\it effective self--interaction potential} $U(\phi)$ which simulates a {\it temporarily} non--vanishing {\em cosmological term}. Using the Hubble expansion parameter $H$ as a new ``time" coordinate, we can formally derive the {\it general} Robertson--Walker metric for a {\em spatially flat} cosmos. Our new method provides a classification of allowed inflationary potentials and is broad enough to embody all known {\it exact} solutions involving one scalar field as special cases. Moreover, we present new inflationary and deflationary exact solutions and can easily predict the influence of the form of $U(\phi)$ on density perturbations. %U http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/9407041v1