141 research outputs found
Non-Gaussianity Consistency Relation for Multi-field Inflation
While detection of the "local form" bispectrum of primordial perturbations
would rule out all single-field inflation models, multi-field models would
still be allowed. We show that multi-field models described by the
formalism obey an inequality between and one of the local-form
{\it trispectrum} amplitudes, , such that with a possible logarithmic scale dependence,
provided that 2-loop terms are small. Detection of a violation of this
inequality would rule out most of multi-field models, challenging inflation as
a mechanism for generating the primoridal perturbations.Comment: 5 pages. Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter
Squeezed tensor non-Gaussianity in non-attractor inflation
We investigate primordial tensor non-Gaussianity in single field inflation,
during a phase of non-attractor evolution when the spectrum of primordial
tensor modes can be enhanced to a level detectable at interferometer scales.
Making use of a tensor duality we introduced in arXiv:1808.10475, we
analytically compute the full bispectrum of primordial tensor fluctuations
during the non-attractor era. During this epoch the shape of the tensor
bispectrum is enhanced in the squeezed limit, its amplitude can be amplified
with respect to slow-roll models, and tensor non-Gaussianity can exhibit a
scale dependence distinctive of our set-up. We prove that our results do not
depend on the frame used for the calculations. Squeezed tensor non-Gaussianity
induces a characteristic quadrupolar anisotropy on the power spectrum of the
stochastic background of primordial tensor perturbations. As a step to make
contact with gravitational wave experiments, we discuss the response function
of a ground based Michelson interferometer to a gravitational wave background
with such a feature.Comment: 34 pages, 4 figure
Breakdown of Semiclassical Methods in de Sitter Space
Massless interacting scalar fields in de Sitter space have long been known to
experience large fluctuations over length scales larger than Hubble distances.
A similar situation arises in condensed matter physics in the vicinity of a
critical point, and in this better-understood situation these large
fluctuations indicate the failure in this regime of mean-field methods. We
argue that for non-Goldstone scalars in de Sitter space, these fluctuations can
also be interpreted as signaling the complete breakdown of the semi-classical
methods widely used throughout cosmology. By power-counting the infrared
properties of Feynman graphs in de Sitter space we find that for a massive
scalar interacting through a \lambda \phi^4$ interaction, control over the loop
approximation is lost for masses smaller than m \simeq \sqrt \lambda H/2\pi,
where H is the Hubble scale. We briefly discuss some potential implications for
inflationary cosmology.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures, v2; added references, clarified the resummation
discussio
Semiclassical relations and IR effects in de Sitter and slow-roll space-times
We calculate IR divergent graviton one-loop corrections to scalar correlators
in de Sitter space, and show that the leading IR contribution may be reproduced
via simple semiclassical consistency relations. One can likewise use such
semiclassical relations to calculate leading IR corrections to correlators in
slow-roll inflation. The regulated corrections shift the tensor/scalar ratio
and consistency relation of single field inflation, and non-gaussianity
parameters averaged over very large distances. For inflation of sufficient
duration, for example arising from a chaotic inflationary scenario, these
corrections become of order unity. First-order corrections of this size
indicate a breakdown of the perturbative expansion, and suggest the need for a
non-perturbative description of the corresponding regime. This is analogous to
a situation argued to arise in black hole evolution, and to interfere with a
sharp perturbative calculation of "missing information" in Hawking radiation.Comment: 32 pages, 2 figures; v2: running of spectral index included and other
minor changes; v3: minor changes to agree with published versio
Large non-Gaussianities in the Effective Field Theory Approach to Single-Field Inflation: the Bispectrum
The methods of effective field theory are used to study generic theories of
inflation with a single inflaton field and to perform a general analysis of the
associated non-Gaussianities. We investigate the amplitudes and shapes of the
various generic three-point correlators, the bispectra, which may be generated
by different classes of single-field inflationary models. Besides the
well-known results for the DBI-like models and the ghost inflationary theories,
we point out that curvature-related interactions may give rise to large
non-Gaussianities in the form of bispectra characterized by a flat shape which,
quite interestingly, is independently produced by several interaction terms. In
a subsequent work, we will perform a similar general analysis for the
non-Gaussianities generated by the generic four-point correlator, the
trispectrum.Comment: Version matching the one published in JCAP, 2 typos fixed, references
added. 30 pages, 20 figure
Probing the inflationary particle content: extra spin-2 field
We study how inflationary observables associated with primordial tensor modes
are affected by coupling the minimal field content with an extra spin-2
particle during inflation. We work with a model that is ghost-free at the fully
non-linear level and show how the new degrees of freedom modify standard
consistency relations for the tensor bispectrum. The extra interacting spin-2
field is necessarily massive and unitarity dictates its mass be in the range. Despite the fact that this bound selects a decaying solution
for the corresponding tensor mode, cosmological correlators still carry the
imprints of such "fossil" fields. Remarkably, fossil(s) of spin
generate distinctive anisotropies in observables such as the tensor power
spectrum. We show how this plays out in our set-up.Comment: 25 pages, 3 figure
Infrared effects in inflationary correlation functions
In this article, I briefly review the status of infrared effects which occur
when using inflationary models to calculate initial conditions for a subsequent
hot, dense plasma phase. Three types of divergence have been identified in the
literature: secular, "time-dependent" logarithms, which grow with time spent
outside the horizon; "box-cutoff" logarithms, which encode a dependence on the
infrared cutoff when calculating in a finite-sized box; and "quantum"
logarithms, which depend on the ratio of a scale characterizing new physics to
the scale of whatever process is under consideration, and whose interpretation
is the same as conventional field theory. I review the calculations in which
these divergences appear, and discuss the methods which have been developed to
deal with them.Comment: Invited review for focus section of Classical & Quantum Gravity on
nonlinear and nongaussian perturbation theory. Some improvements compared to
version which will appear in CQG, especially in Sec. 2.3. 30 pages +
references
Primordial Trispectrum from Entropy Perturbations in Multifield DBI Model
We investigate the primordial trispectra of the general multifield DBI
inflationary model. In contrast with the single field model, the entropic modes
can source the curvature perturbations on the super horizon scales, so we
calculate the contributions from the interaction of four entropic modes
mediating one adiabatic mode to the trispectra, at the large transfer limit
(). We obtained the general form of the 4-point correlation
functions, plotted the shape diagrams in two specific momenta configurations,
"equilateral configuration" and "specialized configuration". Our figures showed
that we can easily distinguish the two different momenta configurations.Comment: 17pages, 7 figures, version to appear in JCA
Large non-Gaussianities in the Effective Field Theory Approach to Single-Field Inflation: the Trispectrum
We perform the analysis of the trispectrum of curvature perturbations
generated by the interactions characterizing a general theory of single-field
inflation obtained by effective field theory methods. We find that
curvature-generated interaction terms, which can in general give an important
contribution to the amplitude of the four-point function, show some new
distinctive features in the form of their trispectrum shape-function. These
interesting interactions are invariant under some recently proposed symmetries
of the general theory and, as shown explicitly, do allow for a large value of
the trispectrum.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figure
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