TITLE: Cofinality of infinitesimals
QUESTION [6 upvotes]: Suppose $\kappa$ is an infinite cardinal and $U$ is a countably incomplete uniform ultrafilter over $\kappa$.  Then $\mathbb R^\kappa/U$ is nonstandard.  What is the cofinality of the set of infinitesimals of this field?  What can we say when $U$ is $\kappa$-regular?
Background information: Recall that $U$ is $\kappa$-regular when there exists a sequence $\langle X_\alpha : \alpha < \kappa \rangle \subseteq U$ such that for any $\beta < \kappa$, $\{ \alpha : \beta \in X_\alpha \}$ is finite.  If $U$ is $\kappa$-regular, then I can show that the cofinality of $\mathbb R^\kappa/U$ (rather than infinitesimals) is $>\kappa$.  Furthermore, if $\mathbb R^\kappa/U$ is $\delta$-saturated, then the cofinality of the infinitesimals is $\geq\delta$.  $\omega_1$-saturation is automatic for ultrapowers by countably incomplete ultrafilters.  If the ultrafilter satisfies a property stronger than regularity called goodness, then the ultrapower is $\kappa^+$-saturated.

REPLY [8 votes]: As pointed out in a comment by James Hanson, the cofinality of the infinitesimals is the same as the coinitiality (i.e., cofinality or the reverse order) $\mu$ of the nonstandard part of $\omega^\kappa/U$. 
Even for $\kappa=\omega$, this coinitiality $\mu$ is not decided by the axioms of set theory. Furthermore, even within a single model of set theory, $\mu$ can depend on the particular ultrafilter $U$. 
Specifically, if one starts with a model of CH and adds $\lambda$ Cohen reals, the resulting model has nonprincipal ultrafilters $U$ on $\omega$ for which $\mu$ is any regular uncountable cardinal $\leq\lambda$. (The same holds for the cofinality of the whole ultrapower $\omega^\omega/U$, and in fact this cofinality and $\mu$ can be chosen independently.) Similarly, if one adds $\lambda$ random reals to a model of CH, every regular uncountable cardinal $\leq\lambda$ occurs as $\mu$ for some $U$. (But now the cofinality of $\omega^\omega/U$ is $\aleph_1$ because random forcing is $\omega^\omega$-bounding.)
These results were proved by Mike Canjar in his thesis; the MathSciNet data for the published version are:
MR0924678 (89g:03073) Reviewed
Canjar, Michael
Countable ultraproducts without CH.
Ann. Pure Appl. Logic 37 (1988), no. 1, 1–79.