We provide a derivation from first principles of the primordial bispectrum of scalar perturbations produced during inflation driven by a canonically normalized scalar field whose potential exhibits small sinusoidal modulations. A potential of this type has been derived in a class of string theory models of inflation based on axion monodromy. We use this model as a concrete example, but we present our derivations and results for a general slow-roll potential with superimposed modulations. We show analytically that a resonance between the oscillations of the background and the oscillations of the fluctuations is responsible for the production of an observably large non-Gaussian signal. We provide an explicit expression for the shape of this resonant non-Gaussianity. We show that there is essentially no overlap between this shape and the local, equilateral, and orthogonal shapes, and we stress that resonant non-Gaussianity is not captured by the simplest version of the effective field theory of inflation. We hope our analytic expression will be useful to further observationally constrain this class of models.
We compute a novel type of large non-Gaussianity due to small periodic features in general single field inflationary models. We show that the non-Bunch-Davies vacuum component generated by features, although has a very small amplitude, can have significant impact on the non-Gaussianity. Three mechanisms are turned on simultaneously in such models, namely the resonant effect, non-Bunch-Davies vacuum and higher derivative kinetic terms, resulting in a bispectrum with distinctive shapes and running. The size can be equal to or larger than that previously found in each single mechanism. Our full r…
We study inflationary models that produce a nearly scale-invariant power spectrum while breaking scale invariance significantly in the bispectrum. Under most circumstances, such models are finely-tuned, as radiative corrections generically induce a larger signal in the power spectrum. However, when scale invariance is broken collectively (i.e., it requires more than one coupling to break the symmetry), these radiative corrections may be suppressed. We illustrate the features and limitations of collective symmetry breaking in the context of resonant non-gaussianity. We discuss two examples wher…
We calculate curvature perturbations in the scenario in which the curvaton field decays into another scalar field via parametric resonance. As a result of a nonlinear stage at the end of the resonance, standard perturbative calculation techniques fail in this case. Instead, we use lattice field theory simulations and the separate universe approximation to calculate the curvature perturbation as a nonlinear function of the curvaton field. For the parameters tested, the generated perturbations are highly non-Gaussian and not well approximated by the usual fNL parameterisation. Resonant decay pla…
We discuss the effect of superimposing multiple sources of resonant non-Gaussianity, which arise for instance in models of axion inflation. The resulting sum of oscillating shape contributions can be used to "Fourier synthesize" different non-oscillating shapes in the bispectrum. As an example we reproduce an approximately equilateral shape from the superposition of ${\cal O}(10)$ oscillatory contributions with resonant shape. This implies a possible degeneracy between the equilateral-type non-Gaussianity typical of models with non-canonical kinetic terms, such as DBI inflation, and an equilat…
We compute all N-point primordial curvature correlation functions from inflation at tree-level up to N of order ten or more depending on the choice of parameters. This is achieved for resonant inflationary models in which the inflaton potential has a periodic modulation on top of a slow-roll flat term. These models find a natural UV completion in string theory implementation of axion monodromy. Key to the success of our computation is the observation that gravitational interactions among the perturbations can be neglected, which we argue is justified for any model of inflation with parametrica…
We discuss models of primordial density perturbations where the non-Gaussianity is strongly scale-dependent. In particular, the non-Gaussianity may have a sharp cut-off and be very suppressed on large cosmological scales, but sizeable on small scales. This may have an impact on probes of non-Gaussianity in the large-scale structure and in the cosmic microwave background radiation anisotropies.
We investigate density fluctuations in a scenario with gravitino dark matter in the framework of modulated reheating, which is known to generate large non-Gaussianity. We show that gravitino dark matter is disfavored if primordial fluctuations have large local-type non-Gaussianity in this framework. We also briefly discuss the case with the curvaton mechanism and some other possible dark matter scenarios.
In this paper, we show that the idea of growing neutrino can result in a modulated reheating effect and produce detectable non-Gaussianity in the model where the Higgs triplet from type II seesaw mechanism plays the role of the inflaton in chaotic inflation.
Primordial non-Gaussianity encodes valuable information about the physics of inflation, including the spectrum of particles and interactions. Significant improvements in our understanding of non-Gaussanity beyond Planck require information from large-scale structure. The most promising approach to utilize this information comes from the scale-dependent bias of halos. For local non-Gaussanity, the improvements available are well studied but the potential for non-Gaussianity beyond the local type, including equilateral and quasi-single field inflation, is much less well understood. In this paper…
Primordial non-Gaussianity is a sensitive probe of the inflationary era, with a number of important theoretical targets living an order of magnitude beyond the reach of current CMB constraints. Maps of the large-scale structure of the universe, in principle, have the raw statistical power to reach these targets, but the complications of nonlinear evolution are thought to present serious, if not insurmountable, obstacles to reaching these goals. In this paper, we will argue that the challenge presented by nonlinear structure formation has been overstated. The information encoded in primordial n…
When dealing with observables, one needs to generalize the bias relation between the observed galaxy fluctuation field to the underlying matter distribution in a gauge-invariant way. We provide such relation at second-order in perturbation theory adopting the local Eulerian bias model and starting from the observationally motivated uniform-redshift gauge. Our computation includes the presence of primordial non-Gaussianity. We show that large scale-dependent relativistic effects in the Eulerian bias arise independently from the presence of some primordial non-Gaussianity. Furthermore, the Euler…
We analyze the shape and amplitude of oscillatory features in the primordial power spectrum and non-Gaussianity induced by periodic production of heavy degrees of freedom coupled to the inflaton $ϕ$. We find that non-adiabatic production of particles can contribute effects which are detectable or constrainable using cosmological data even if their time-dependent masses are always heavier than the scale $\dot ϕ^{1/2}$, much larger than the Hubble scale. This provides a new role for UV completion, consistent with the criteria from effective field theory for when heavy fields cannot be integrated…
Inflating curvaton can create curvature perturbation when the curvaton density is slowly varying. Using the delta-N formalism, we discuss the evolution of the curvature perturbation during curvaton inflation and find analytic formulation of the non-Gaussianity parameter. We first consider the inflating curvaton with sufficiently long inflationary expansion. Then we compare the result with short curvaton inflation.
In this paper we provide a prescription for obtaining a small non-Gaussianity and the observed dipole asymmetry in the cosmic microwave background radiation. The observations inevitably lead to multi-field inflationary dynamics, where each field can create positive or negative large non-Gaussianity, resulting a fine cancellation but with an observable imprint on the hemispherical asymmetry. We discuss this possibility within a simple slow-roll scenario and find that it is hard to explain the observed dipole asymmetry. We briefly discuss some speculative scenarios where one can explain dipole a…
In this paper, we consider large non-Gaussianity generated after D-term inflation in the case that the adiabatic curvature perturbation produced is dominated by a right-handed (RH) sneutrino curvaton. The cosmic string problem can also be evaded with around 10% contribution to the CMB power spectrum and the spectral index $n_s \simeq 1$. The non-Gaussianity produced can be as large as $10<f_{NL}<100$ for the right-handed sneutrino mass being around $m_Φ=10 {GeV}$ with the Yukawa coupling $λ_ν\sim 10^{-10}$. In this case, the lightest neutrino mass is $10^{-10}{eV}$ which favors RH sneutrino le…
We derive a formula for the halo/galaxy bispectrum on the basis of the integrated Perturbation Theory (iPT). In addition to the gravity-induced non-Gaussianity, we consider the non-Gaussianity of the primordial curvature perturbations, and investigate in detail the effect of such primordial non-Gaussianity on the large-scale halo/galaxy bispectrum. In iPT, the effects of primordial non-Gaussianity are wholly encapsulated in the linear (primordial) polyspectra, and we systematically calculate the contributions to the large-scale behaviors arising from the three types of primordial bispectrum (l…
We analyze multi-field inflationary systems which yield strongly scale dependent non-Gaussianity with a shape that is very close to the local shape. As in usual multi-field models, the non-Gaussianity arises from the non-linear transfer of scalar field fluctuations to curvature perturbations. Here we consider models in which higher order terms (loops) dominate over the lowest order source of non-linearity. The magnitude of non-Gaussianity depends on an infrared cutoff which is determined by our observational probes measuring non-Gaussianity. In our models, the running is positive and large (n_…
In this review, we discuss how non-Gaussianity of cosmological perturbations arises from inflation. After introducing the in-in formalism to calculate the $n$-point correlation function of quantum fields, we present the computation of the bispectrum of the curvature perturbation generated in general single field inflation models. The shapes of the bispectrum are compared with the local-type non-Gaussianity that arises from non-linear dynamics on super-horizon scales.
In this paper we present a simple, toy model of single field inflation in which the standard non-Gaussianity consistency condition is violated. In this model the curvature perturbations on super-horizon scales are not conserved and the decaying modes of perturbations are not negligible in the non-atractor phase. As a result a large local non-Gaussianity can be obtained in the squeezed limit which violates the standard non-Gaussianity consistency condition for the single field models.
We analyze primordial non-Gaussianity in single field inflationary models when the tensor/scalar ratio is large. Our results show that detectable levels of non-Gaussianity $f_{NL} \sim 50$ are still possible in the simplest class of models described by the effective theory of inflation. However, the shape is very tightly constrained, making a sharp prediction that could be confirmed or falsified by a future detection of non-Gaussianity.
We study the halo mass function in the presence of the kurtosis type of primordial non-Gaussianity. The kurtosis corresponds to the trispectrum as defined in Fourier space. The primordial trispectrum is commonly characterized by two parameters, $τ_{\rm NL}$ and $g_{\rm NL}$. As applications of the derived non-Gaussian mass function, we consider the effect on the abundance of void structure, the effect on early star formation and on formation of the most massive object at high redshift. We show that by comparing the effects of primordial non-Gaussianity on cluster abundance with that on void ab…
We discuss generation of non-Gaussianity in density perturbation through the super-horizon evolution during inflation by using the so-called $δN$ formalism. We first provide a general formula for the non-linearity parameter generated during inflation. We find that it is proportional to the slow-roll parameters, multiplied by the model dependent factors that may enhance the non-gaussianity to the observable ranges. Then we discuss three typical examples to illustrate how difficult to generate sizable non-Gaussianity through the super-horizon evolution. First example is the double inflation mode…
We investigate the non-Gaussian signatures of ultra slow-roll inflation. The bispectrum and the trispectrum are calculated with general initial conditions. The trispectrum is of local shape, as in the case of the bispectrum. We show that the prediction of local non-Gaussianity is robust again generalizing the Bunch-Davies vacuum. The Suyama-Yamaguchi relation is saturated in this scenario.
Non-attractor inflation is known as the only single field inflationary scenario that can violate non-Gaussianity consistency relation with the Bunch-Davies vacuum state and generate large local non-Gaussianity. However, it is also known that the non-attractor inflation by itself is incomplete and should be followed by a phase of slow-roll attractor. Moreover, there is a transition process between these two phases. In the past literature, this transition was approximated as instant and the evolution of non-Gaussianity in this phase was not fully studied. In this paper, we follow the detailed ev…
We study cosmological tensor perturbations induced by second-order scalar perturbations in the presence of anisotropic non-Gaussianity. This class of induced tensor modes arises on superhorizon scales through the intrinsic quadrupole coupling between long modes and short modes. Scalar perturbations on all scales from the inflationary Hubble radius to the Silk damping scale at recombination contribute to the induced tensor powerspectrum at the cosmic microwave background (CMB) scale. In addition, the induced tensor spectrum becomes almost scale-invariant. The former property suggests that measu…
We use a generalized delta N formalism to study the generation of the primordial curvature perturbation in the curvaton brane scenario inspired by stringy compactifications. We note that the non-Gaussian features, especially the trispectra, crucially depend on the decay mechanism in a general curvaton scenario. Specifically, we study the bispectra and trispectra of the curvaton brane model in detail to illustrate the importance of curvaton decay in generating nonlinear fluctuations. When the curvaton brane moves nonrelativistically during inflation, the shape of non-Gaussianity is local, but t…
Local non-Gaussianity, parametrized by $f_{\rm NL}$, introduces a scale-dependent bias that is strongest at large scales, precisely where General Relativistic (GR) effects also become significant. With future data, it should be possible to constrain $f_{\rm NL} = {\cal O}(1)$ with high redshift surveys. GR corrections to the power spectrum and ambiguities in the gauge used to define bias introduce effects similar to $f_{\rm NL}= {\cal O}(1)$, so it is essential to disentangle these effects. For the first time in studies of primordial non-Gaussianity, we include the consistent GR calculation of…
We discuss implications of Planck results for models with local type non-Gaussianity. In light of the recent results of the Planck satellite, we constrain model parameters of several representative models and give the prediction of trispectrum, in particular, gNL. We also consider interesting possibilities that trispectrum appears as the first signature of the non-Gaussianities of the curvature perturbations, that is, fNL is small while gNL can be significantly large.
We estimate analytically the second-order cosmic microwave background temperature anisotropies at the recombination epoch in the squeezed limit and we deduce the contamination to the primordial local non-Gaussianity. We find that the level of contamination corresponds to f_NL^{con}=O(1) which is below the sensitivity of present experiments and smaller than the value O(5) recently claimed in the literature.
We study non-gaussianity effects, using the $δN$ formalism, in a multi-field inflationary model consisting of Kähler moduli derived from type IIB string compactification in the large volume limit. The analytical work in this paper mostly follows the separable potential method developed by Vernizzi and Wands. The numerical analysis is then used in computing non-gaussianity beyond slow-roll regime. The possibility of the curvaton scenario is also discussed. We give the condition for the existence of the curvaton and calculate the non-guassianity generated by the curvaton decay in the large volum…
We classify models generating large local-type non-Gaussianity into some categories by using some "consistency relations" among the non-linearity parameters f_{NL}^{local}, τ_{NL}^{local} and g_{NL}^{local}, which characterize the size of bispectrum for the former and trispectrum for the later two. Then we discuss how one can discriminate models of large local-type non-Gaussianity with such relations. We first classify the models by using the ratio of τ_{NL}^{local}/(6f_{NL}^{local}/5)^2, which is unity for "single-source" models and deviates from unity for "multi-source" ones. We can make a f…
A detection of the level of non-Gaussianity in the CMB data is essential to discriminate among inflationary models and also to test alternative primordial scenarios. However, the extraction of primordial non-Gaussianity is a difficult endeavor since several effects of non-primordial nature can produce non-Gaussianity. On the other hand, different statistical tools can in principle provide information about distinct forms of non-Gaussianity. Thus, any single statistical estimator cannot be sensitive to all possible forms of non-Gaussianity. In this context, to shed some light in the potential s…
We present a systematic study of galaxy biasing in the presence of primordial non-Gaussianity. For a large class of non-Gaussian initial conditions, we define a general bias expansion and prove that it is closed under renormalization, thereby showing that the basis of operators in the expansion is complete. We then study the effects of primordial non-Gaussianity on the statistics of galaxies. We show that the equivalence principle enforces a relation between the scale-dependent bias in the galaxy power spectrum and that in the dipolar part of the bispectrum. This provides a powerful consistenc…
One-loop correction to the power spectrum in generic single-field inflation is calculated by using standard perturbation theory. Because of the enhancement inversely proportional to the observed red tilt of the spectral index of curvature perturbation, the correction turns out to be much larger than previously anticipated. As a result, the primordial non-Gaussianity must be much smaller than the current observational bound in order to warrant the validity of cosmological perturbation theory.
We study the effect of non-trivial sound speeds on local-type non-Gaussianity during multiple-field inflation. To this end, we consider a model of multiple-field DBI and use the deltaN formalism to track the super-horizon evolution of perturbations. By adopting a sum separable Hubble parameter we derive analytic expressions for the relevant quantities in the two-field case, valid beyond slow variation. We find that non-trivial sound speeds can, in principle, curve the trajectory in such a way that significant local-type non-Gaussianity is produced. Deviations from slow variation, such as rapid…
We study the non-Gaussianity generated during multiple-field inflation. We provide an exact expression for the bispectrum parameter f_NL which is valid beyond the slow-roll regime, valid for certain classes of inflationary models. We then study a new, exact multi-field inflationary model considering a case where the bispectrum grows to observable values at the end of inflation. We show that in this case the trispectrum is also large and may even provide the dominant signal of non-Gaussianity.
We consider reheating after inflation with a non-standard kinetic term. We show that the difference in the kinetic term in different Hubble patches inherited from the long-wavelength moduli inhomogeneities may generate a significant level of non-Gaussianity after inflation.
[Abridged]: A detection or nondetection of primordial non-Gaussianity by using the CMB data is crucial not only to discriminate inflationary models but also to test alternative scenarios. Non-Gaussianity offers, therefore, a powerful probe of the physics of the primordial universe. The extraction of primordial non-Gaussianity is a difficult enterprise since several effects of non-primordial nature can produce non-Gaussianity. Most of the Gaussianity analyses of CMB data have been performed by using part-sky frequency, where masks are used to deal with the galactic diffuse foreground emission. …
The effect of self-interactions of heavy scalar fields during inflation on the primordial non-Gaussianity is studied. We take a specific constant-turn quasi-single field inflation as an example. We derive an effective theory with emphasis on non-linear self-interactions of heavy fields and calculate the corresponding non-Gaussianity, which is of equilateral type and can be as relevant as those computed previously in the literature. We also derive the non-Gaussianity by directly using the in-in formalism, and verify the equivalence of these two approaches.
A detection or nondetection of primordial non-Gaussianity in the CMB data is essential not only to test alternative models of the physics of the early universe but also to discriminate among classes of inflationary models. Given this far reaching consequences of such a non-Gaussianity detection for our understanding of the physics of the early universe, it is important to employ alternative indicators in order to have further information about the Gaussianity features of CMB that may be helpful for identifying their origins. In this way, a considerable effort has recently gone into the design …
We study a model of multiple-field DBI inflation leading to mixed form of primordial non-Gaussianity, including equilateral and local bispectrum shapes. We present a general formalism based on the Hamilton-Jacobi approach, allowing us to go beyond slow-roll, combining the three-point function for the fields at Hubble-exit with the non-linear evolution of super-Hubble scales. We are able to obtain analytic results by taking a separable Ansatz for the Hubble rate. We find general expressions for both the equilateral and local type non-Gaussianity parameter fNL. The equilateral non-Gaussianity in…
In the literature there have been incompatible estimates for the amount of non-Gaussianity in hybrid inflation. In this note we point out the sources for the discrepancies and show that the results for the amount of non-Gaussianity in hybrid inflation obtained by two different methods, namely, perturbing Einstein equation to second order and the separate universe approach, indeed are compatible. This provides confidence in the methods themselves and in the actual computation of non-Gaussianities.
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…
The thermal non-Gaussianity in Near-Milne universe is investigated in this letter. Through classifying thermal fluctuations into two types, one characterized by a phase transition and the other without phase transition, we show that for fluctuations undergoing a phase transition, the non-Gaussianity depends linearly on $k$, but in non-phase transition case it is proportional to $k^{-3γ},γ>0$. Moreover, if the phase transition scenario is similar to that in holographic cosmology, we find that the non-Gaussianity $f_{NL}^{equil}$ can reach ${\cal O}(1)$ or larger than ${\cal O}(1)$ by fine tunin…
We study parity violation in graviton non-gaussianity generated during inflation. We develop a useful formalism to calculate graviton non-gaussianity. Using this formalism, we explicitly calculate the parity violating part of the bispectrum for primordial gravitational waves in the exact de Sitter spacetime and prove that no parity violation appears in the non-gaussianity. We also extend the analysis to slow-roll inflation and find that the parity violation of the bispectrum is proportional to the slow-roll parameter. We argue that parity violating non-gaussianity can be tested by the CMB. Our…
We provide the gauge-invariant expression for large-scale cosmic microwave background temperature fluctuations at second-order in perturbation theory. It enables to unambiguously define the nonlinearity parameter f_NL which is used by experimental collaborations to pin down the level of Non-Gaussianity in the temperature fluctuations. Furthermore, it contains a primordial term encoding all the information about the Non-Gaussianity generated at primordial epochs and about the mechanism which gave rise to cosmological perturbations, thus neatly disentangling the primordial contribution to Non-Ga…
We study the scale dependent bias of the halo power spectrum arising from primordial non-Gaussianity. We present an analytic result of the halo bias including up to the trispectrum contributions. We find the scale dependent bias opens a new possibility of probing the relation between the non-linearity parameters $\fnl$ and $\tnl$.
Light scalars may be ubiquitous in nature, and their quantum fluctuations can produce large non-Gaussianity in the cosmic microwave background temperature anisotropy. The non-Gaussianity may be accompanied with a small admixture of isocurvature perturbations, which often have correlations with the curvature perturbations. We present a general method to calculate the non-Gaussianity in the adiabatic and isocurvature perturbations with and without correlations, and see how it works in several explicit examples. We also show that they leave distinct signatures on the bispectrum of the cosmic micr…
We discuss quantum gravitational loop effects to observable quantities such as curvature power spectrum and primordial non-Gaussianity of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. We first review the previously shown case where one gets a time dependence for zeta-zeta correlator due to loop corrections. Then we investigate the effect of loop corrections to primordial non-Gaussianity of CMB. We conclude that, even with a single scalar inflaton, one might get a huge value for non-Gaussianity which would exceed the observed value by at least 30 orders of magnitude. Finally we discuss the conse…
ICTP, International Centre for Theoretical Physics（国际理论物理中心）；IFPU - Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe（宇宙基础物理研究所）；INFN, Sezione di Trieste（意大利国家核物理研究所的里雅斯特分部）；High Energy Physics Research Unit, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University（朱拉隆功大学理学院物理系高能物理研究组）；Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (WPI), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo（东京大学 Kavli宇宙物理与数学研究所）
Long-short mode coupling during inflation, encoded in the squeezed bispectrum of curvature perturbations, induces a dependence of the local, small-scale power spectrum on long-wavelength perturbations, leading to a scale-dependent halo bias. While this scale dependence is absent in the large-scale limit for single-field inflation models that satisfy the consistency relation, certain models such as resonant non-Gaussianity show a peculiar behavior on intermediate scales. We reconsider the predictions for the halo bias in this model by working in Conformal Fermi Coordinates, which isolate the ph…
[Abridged] In recent works we have proposed two new large-angle non-Gaussianity indicators based on skewness and kurtosis of patches of CMB sky-sphere, and used them to find out significant deviation from Gaussianity in frequency bands and foreground-reduced CMB maps. Simulated CMB maps with assigned type and amplitude of primordial non-Gaussianity are important tools to determine the strength, sensitivity and limitations of non-Gaussian estimators. Here we investigate whether and to what extent our non-Gaussian indicators have sensitivity to detect non-Gaussianity of local type, particularly …
By assuming the field seeding the curvature perturbations $ ζ$ is a dynamically arising condensate, we are able to derive the relation $ f_{NL} ^2 \simeq 10^8 H / M_c $ between the non-Gaussianity parameter $ f_{NL} $ and the ratio of the inflationary scale $ H $ to the cutoff scale $ M_c $ of the effective theory describing the condensate, thus relating the experimental bound on $ f_{NL} $ to a bound on $ M_c $.
In this paper, we show that if we extend D-term hybrid inflation by adding a light scalar field which couples to a waterfall field, large non-Gaussianity can be generated at the end of inflation. Contribution of cosmic strings generated after D-term inflation to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) angular power spectrum can be as low as 10% and this also evade the spectral index problem.
Correlated adiabatic and isocurvature perturbation modes are produced during inflation through an oscillation mechanism when extra scalar degrees of freedom other than the inflaton field are present. We show that this correlation generically leads to sizeable non-Gaussian features both in the adiabatic and isocurvature perturbations. The non-Gaussianity is first generated by large non-linearities in some scalar sector and then efficiently transferred to the inflaton sector by the oscillation process. We compute the cosmic microwave background angular bispectrum, providing a characteristic feat…
We develop a formalism to study non-Gaussianity in both curvature and isocurvature perturbations. It is shown that non-Gaussianity in the isocurvature perturbation between dark matter and photons leaves distinct signatures in the CMB temperature fluctuations, which may be confirmed in future experiments, or possibly, even in the currently available observational data. As an explicit example, we consider the QCD axion and show that it can actually induce sizable non-Gaussianity for the inflationary scale, H_{inf} = O(10^9 - 10^{11})GeV.
In curvaton-type models, observable non-gaussianity of the curvature perturbation would come from a contribution of the form $(δσ)^2$, where $δσ$ is gaussian. I analyse this situation allowing $δσ$ to be scale-dependent. The actual curvaton model is considered in more detail than before, including its cosmic uncertainty and anthropic status. The status of curvaton-type models after WMAP year three data is considered.
A convincing detection of primordial non-Gaussianity in the cosmic background radiation (CMB) is essential to probe the physics of the early universe. Since a single statistical estimator can hardly be suitable to detect the various possible forms of non-Gaussianity, it is important to employ different statistical indicators to study non-Gaussianity of CMB. This has motivated the proposal of a number statistical tools, including two large-angle indicators based on skewness and kurtosis of spherical caps of CMB sky-sphere. Although suitable to detect fairly large non-Gaussianity they are unable…
We investigate the non-Gaussianity of the brane inflation which happens in the same throat in the framework of the generalized KKLMMT model. When we take the constraints from non-Gaussianity into account, various consequences are discussed including the bound on the string coupling, such as the string coupling is larger than 0.08 and the effective string scale on the brane is larger than $1.3 \times 10^{-4} M_p$ in KKLMMT model.
