Relic Vector Field and CMB Large Scale Anomalies

We study the most general effects of relic vector fields on the inflationary background and density perturbations. Such effects are observable if the number of inflationary e-folds is close to the minimum requirement to solve the horizon problem. We show that this can potentially explain two CMB large scale anomalies: the quadrupole-octopole alignment and the quadrupole power suppression. We discuss its effect on the parity anomaly. We also provide analytical template for more detailed data comparison.Comment: 15 pages, v4, references added, some comments revised, JCAP versio

Non-Bunch-Davies Anisotropy

We introduce a generic mechanism that can extend the effects of relic anisotropies at the beginning of inflation to relatively much shorter scales in density perturbations. This is induced by non-Bunch-Davies states of the quantum fluctuations, and can show up in the non-oscillatory components of the density perturbations. This mechanism works for general forms of anisotropies, and, to illustrate it, we use an example of relic vector field. The detailed scale-dependence of these anisotropies can be used to probe the initial quantum state of our universe.Comment: 10 page

Searching for Standard Clocks in the Primordial Universe

Classically oscillating massive fields can be used as "standard clocks" in the primordial universe. They generate features in primordial density perturbations that directly record the scale factor evolution a(t). Detecting and measuring these "fingerprint" signals is challenging but would provide a direct evidence for a specific primordial universe paradigm. In this paper, such a search is performed for the power spectrum of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropies using the WMAP7 data. Although a good fit to the data privileges a scale around k=0.01 Mpc^(-1), we do not find statistical significance for, neither against, the presence of any feature. We then forecast the expected constraints a Planck-like CMB experiment can impose on the fingerprint parameters by using Markov-Chain-Monte-Carlo (MCMC) methods on mock data. We exhibit a high sensitivity zone for wavenumbers ranging from 0.01 Mpc^(-1) to 0.1 Mpc^(-1) in which fingerprints show up first on the posterior probability distribution of the wavenumber at which they occur, and then on the modulation frequency. Within the sensitivity zone, we show that the inflationary paradigm can be inferred from a single feature generating at least a 20% modulation of the primordial power spectrum. This minimal value sensitively depends on the modulation frequency.Comment: 22 pages, 13 figures, uses jcappub. References added, matches published versio

Standard Clock in Primordial Density Perturbations and Cosmic Microwave Background

Standard Clocks in the primordial epoch leave a special type of features in the primordial perturbations, which can be used to directly measure the scale factor of the primordial universe as a function of time a(t), thus discriminating between inflation and alternatives. We have started to search for such signals in the Planck 2013 data using the key predictions of the Standard Clock. In this Letter, we summarize the key predictions of the Standard Clock and present an interesting candidate example in Planck 2013 data. Motivated by this candidate, we construct and compute full Standard Clock models and use the more complete prediction to make more extensive comparison with data. Although this candidate is not yet statistically significant, we use it to illustrate how Standard Clocks appear in Cosmic Microwave Background and how they can be further tested by future data. We also use it to motivate more detailed theoretical model building.Comment: 16 pages; v2, comments added, discussion on large field models revised and details deferred to a forthcoming publicatio

Primordial Non-Gaussianities from Inflation Models

This is a pedagogical review on primordial non-Gaussianities from inflation models. We introduce formalisms and techniques that are used to compute such quantities. We review different mechanisms which can generate observable large non-Gaussianities during inflation, and distinctive signatures they leave on the non-Gaussian profiles. They are potentially powerful probes to the dynamics of inflation. We also provide a non-technical and qualitative summary of the main results and underlying physics.Comment: 84 pages, invited review for special issue of Advances in Astronomy on "Testing the Gaussianity and Statistical Isotropy of the Universe"; v3, various improvement and corrections, especially in Sec.6.4, 8.1 & 9.