On the dynamics of a quadratic scalar field potential

We review the attractor properties of the simplest chaotic model of inflation, in which a minimally coupled scalar field is endowed with a quadratic scalar potential. The equations of motion in a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe are written as an autonomous system of equations, and the solutions of physical interest appear as critical points. This new formalism is then applied to the study of inflation dynamics, in which we can go beyond the known slow-roll formalism of inflation.Comment: 14 pages, 6 eps figures, matches version to appear in IJMP

Warm inflation model building

We review the main aspects of the warm inflation scenario, focusing on the inflationary dynamics and the predictions related to the primordial spectrum of perturbations, to be compared with the recent cosmological observations. We study in detail three different classes of inflationary models, chaotic, hybrid models and hilltop models, and discuss their embedding into supersymmetric models and the consequences for model building of the warm inflationary dynamics based on first principles calculations. Due to the extra friction term introduced in the inflaton background evolution generated by the dissipative dynamics, inflation can take place generically for smaller values of the field, and larger values of couplings and masses. When the dissipative dynamics dominates over the expansion, in the so-called strong dissipative regime, inflation proceeds with sub-planckian inflaton values. Models can be naturally embedded into a supergravity framework, with sugra corrections suppressed by the Planck mass now under control, for a larger class of K\"ahler potentials. In particular, this provides a simpler solution to the "eta" problem in supersymmetric hybrid inflation, without restricting the K\"ahler potentials compatible with inflation. For chaotic models dissipation leads to a smaller prediction for the tensor-to-scalar ratio and a less tilted spectrum when compared to the cold inflation scenario. We find in particular that a small component of dissipation renders the quartic model now consistent with the current CMB data.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure

Density Fluctuations in Thermal Inflation and Non-Gaussianity

We consider primordial fluctuations in thermal inflation scenario. Since the thermal inflation drives about 10 $e$-folds after the standard inflation, the time of horizon-exit during inflation corresponding to the present observational scale shifts toward the end of inflation. It generally makes the primordial power spectrum more deviated from a scale-invariant one and hence renders some models inconsistent with observations. We present a mechanism of generating the primordial curvature perturbation at the end of thermal inflation utilizing a fluctuating coupling of a flaton field with the fields in thermal bath. We show that, by adopting the mechanism, some inflation models can be liberated even in the presence of the thermal inflation. We also discuss non-Gaussianity in the mechanism and show that large non-Gaussianity can be generated in this scenario.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figures, minor change

Evolution of fNL to the adiabatic limit

We study inflationary perturbations in multiple-field models, for which zeta typically evolves until all isocurvature modes decay--the "adiabatic limit". We use numerical methods to explore the sensitivity of the nonlinear parameter fNL to the process by which this limit is achieved, finding an appreciable dependence on model-specific data such as the time at which slow-roll breaks down or the timescale of reheating. In models with a sum-separable potential where the isocurvature modes decay before the end of the slow-roll phase we give an analytic criterion for the asymptotic value of fNL to be large. Other examples can be constructed using a waterfall field to terminate inflation while fNL is transiently large, caused by descent from a ridge or convergence into a valley. We show that these two types of evolution are distinguished by the sign of the bispectrum, and give approximate expressions for the peak fNL.Comment: v1: 25 pages, plus Appendix and bibliography, 6 figures. v2: minor edits to match published version in JCA

Conditions for large non-Gaussianity in two-field slow-roll inflation

We study the level of primordial non-Gaussianity in slow-roll two-field inflation. Using an analytic formula for the nonlinear parameter f_nl in the case of a sum or product separable potential, we find that it is possible to generate significant non-Gaussianity even during slow-roll inflation with Gaussian perturbations at Hubble exit. In this paper we give the general conditions to obtain large non-Gaussianity and calculate the level of fine-tuning required to obtain this. We present explicit models in which the non-Gaussianity at the end of inflation can exceed the current observational bound of |f_nl|<100.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, v2: typos corrected and references added, matches version accepted by JCA

Nonlinear curvature perturbations in an exactly soluble model of multi-component slow-roll inflation

Using the nonlinear $\delta N$ formalism, we consider a simple exactly soluble model of multi-component slow-roll inflation in which the nonlinear curvature perturbation can be evaluated analytically.Comment: 4 pages, no figure, typos corrected, references added, final version to be published in CQ

Large non-Gaussianity from two-component hybrid inflation

We study the generation of non-Gaussianity in models of hybrid inflation with two inflaton fields, (2-brid inflation). We analyse the region in the parameter and the initial condition space where a large non-Gaussianity may be generated during slow-roll inflation which is generally characterised by a large f_NL, tau_NL and a small g_NL. For certain parameter values we can satisfy tau_NL>>f_NL^2. The bispectrum is of the local type but may have a significant scale dependence. We show that the loop corrections to the power spectrum and bispectrum are suppressed during inflation, if one assume that the fields follow a classical background trajectory. We also include the effect of the waterfall field, which can lead to a significant change in the observables after the waterfall field is destabilised, depending on the couplings between the waterfall and inflaton fields.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures; v2: comments and references added, typos corrected, matches published versio

Moment transport equations for the primordial curvature perturbation

In a recent publication, we proposed that inflationary perturbation theory can be reformulated in terms of a probability transport equation, whose moments determine the correlation properties of the primordial curvature perturbation. In this paper we generalize this formulation to an arbitrary number of fields. We deduce ordinary differential equations for the evolution of the moments of zeta on superhorizon scales, which can be used to obtain an evolution equation for the dimensionless bispectrum, fNL. Our equations are covariant in field space and allow identification of the source terms responsible for evolution of fNL. In a model with M scalar fields, the number of numerical integrations required to obtain solutions of these equations scales like O(M^3). The performance of the moment transport algorithm means that numerical calculations with M >> 1 fields are straightforward. We illustrate this performance with a numerical calculation of fNL in Nflation models containing M ~ 10^2 fields, finding agreement with existing analytic calculations. We comment briefly on extensions of the method beyond the slow-roll approximation, or to calculate higher order parameters such as gNL.Comment: 23 pages, plus appendices and references; 4 figures. v2: incorrect statements regarding numerical delta N removed from Sec. 4.3. Minor modifications elsewher

Spectrum of Curvature Perturbation of Multi-field Inflation with Small-Field Potential

In this paper, we have studied the spectrum of curvature perturbation of multi-field inflation with general small-field potential. We assume that the isocurvature perturbation may be neglected, and by using the Sasaki-Stewart formalism, we found that the spectrum may be redder or bluer than of its corresponding single field. The result depends upon the values of fields and their effective masses at the horizon-crossing time. We discuss the relevant cases.Comment: 8 pages, no figure, to publish in JCA

Affleck-Dine baryogenesis with modulated reheating

Modulated reheating scenario is one of the most attractive models that predict possible detections of not only the primordial non-Gaussianity but also the tensor fluctuation through future CMB observations such as the Planck satellite, the PolarBeaR and the LiteBIRD satellite experiments. We study the baryonic-isocurvature fluctuations in the Affleck-Dine baryogenesis with the modulated reheating scenario. We show that the Affleck-Dine baryogenesis can be consistent with the modulated reheating scenario with respect to the current observational constraint on the baryonic-isocurvature fluctuations.Comment: 7 page