Computing the Primordial Power Spectra Directly

The tree order power spectra of primordial inflation depend upon the norm-squared of mode functions which oscillate for early times and then freeze in to constant values. We derive simple differential equations for the power spectra, that avoid the need to numerically simulate the physically irrelevant phases of the mode functions. We also derive asymptotic expansions which should be valid until a few e-foldings before first horizon crossing, thereby avoiding the need to evolve mode functions from the ultraviolet over long periods of inflation.Comment: 11 pages, uses LaTex2

Quantum Corrections to Inflaton and Curvaton Dynamics

We compute the fully renormalized one-loop effective action for two interacting and self-interacting scalar fields in FRW space-time. We then derive and solve the quantum corrected equations of motion both for fields that dominate the energy density (such as an inflaton) and fields that do not (such as a subdominant curvaton). In particular, we introduce quantum corrected Friedmann equations that determine the evolution of the scale factor. We find that in general, gravitational corrections are negligible for the field dynamics. For the curvaton-type fields this leaves only the effect of the flat-space Coleman-Weinberg-type effective potential, and we find that these can be significant. For the inflaton case, both the corrections to the potential and the Friedmann equations can lead to behaviour very different from the classical evolution. Even to the point that inflation, although present at tree level, can be absent at one-loop order.Comment: 33 pages, 6 figures, minor revisions. Published version Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Volume 2012, November 201