The general expression for the second order large scale curvature perturbation in the form of a functional over a background solution is derived. The explicit expressions was obtained for two special forms of the inflationary potential. In the considered cases, it is shown that a significant level of non-Gaussianity can be generated during the super-Hubble evolution only if nonadiabatic perturbations are non-negligible at the end of inflation.
Primordial non-Gaussianity generated in an inflationary model where inflation is preceded by a radiation era is discussed. It is shown that both bispectrum and trispectrum non-Gaussianities are enhanced due to the presence of pre-inflationary radiation era. One distinguishing feature of such a scenario is that the trispectrum non-Gaussianity is larger than the bispectrum one.
Single field inflationary models predict nearly Gaussian initial conditions and hence a detection of non-Gaussianity would be a signature of the more complex inflationary scenarios. In this paper we study the effect on the cosmic microwave background and on large scale structure from primordial non-Gaussianity in a two-field inflationary model in which both the inflaton and curvaton contribute to the density perturbations. We show that in addition to the previously described enhancement of the galaxy bias on large scales, this setup results in large-scale stochasticity. We provide joint constr…
In the present paper, certain inflation models are shown to have large non-Gaussianity in special cases. Namely, finite length inflation models with an effective higher derivative interaction, in which slow-roll inflation is adopted as inflation and a scalar-matter-dominated period or power inflation is adopted as pre-inflation, are considered. Using Holman and Tolley's formula of the nonlinearity parameter $f^\textrm{\tiny flattened}_\textrm{\tiny NL}$, we calculate the value of $f^\textrm{\tiny flattened}_\textrm{\tiny NL}$. A large value of $f^\textrm{\tiny flattened}_\textrm{\tiny NL}(f^\t…
We consider the description of the clustering of halos for physically-motivated types of non-Gaussian initial conditions. In particular we include non-Gaussianity of the type arising from single field slow-roll, multi fields, curvaton (local type), higher-order derivative-type (equilateral), vacuum-state modifications (enfolded-type) and horizon-scale GR corrections type. We show that large-scale halo bias is a very sensitive tool to probe non-Gaussianity, potentially leading, for some planned surveys, to a detection of non-Gaussianity arising from horizon-scale GR corrections. In tandem with …
The non-Gaussianity of inflationary perturbations, as encoded in the bispectrum (or 3-point correlator), has become an important additional way of distinguishing between inflation models, going beyond the linear Gaussian perturbation quantities of the power spectrum. This habilitation thesis provides a review of my work on both the theoretical and the observational aspects of these non-Gaussianities. In the first part a formalism is described, called the long-wavelength formalism, that provides a way to compute the non-Gaussianities in multiple-field inflation. Applications of this formalism t…
We use the long-wavelength formalism to investigate the level of bispectral non-Gaussianity produced in two-field inflation models with standard kinetic terms. Even though the Planck satellite has so far not detected any primordial non-Gaussianity, it has tightened the constraints significantly, and it is important to better understand what regions of inflation model space have been ruled out, as well as prepare for the next generation of experiments that might reach the important milestone of Delta f_NL(local) = 1. We derive an alternative formulation of the previously derived integral expres…
We calculate the perturbed action, at second and third order, for a massive three-form field minimally coupled to gravity, and use it to explore the observational predictions of three-form inflation. One intriguing result is that the value of the spectral index is nearly independent of the three-form potential, being fixed solely by the number of e-folds of inflation, with n_s=0.97 for the canonical number of 60. Considering the bispectrum, we employ standard techniques to give explicit results for two models, one of which produces a large non-Gaussianity. Finally, we confirm our results by em…
The leading candidate for the very early universe is described by a period of rapid expansion known as inflation. While the standard paradigm invokes a single slow-rolling field, many different models may be constructed which fit the current observational evidence. In this work we outline theoretical and observational studies of non-Gaussian fluctuations produced by models of inflation and by cosmic strings - topological defects that may be generated in the very early universe during a phase transition. In particular, we consider the imprint of cosmic strings on the cosmic microwave background…
We present a review of vector field models of inflation and, in particular, of the statistical anisotropy and non-Gaussianity predictions of models with SU(2) vector multiplets. Non-Abelian gauge groups introduce a richer amount of predictions compared to the Abelian ones, mostly because of the presence of vector fields self-interactions. Primordial vector fields can violate isotropy leaving their imprint in the comoving curvature fluctuations zeta at late times. We provide the analytic expressions of the correlation functions of zeta up to fourth order and an analysis of their amplitudes and …
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.
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.
The bispectrum of scalar mode density perturbations is analysed for the strong regime of warm inflationary models. This analysis generalises previous results by allowing damping terms in the inflaton equation of motion that are dependent on temperature. A significant amount of non-gaussianity emerges with constant (or local) non-linearity parameter $f_{NL}\sim 20$, in addition to the terms with non-constant $f_{NL}$ which are characteristic of warm inflation.
We propose an inflationary model ("natural hybrid model"), which combines the supersymmetric hybrid model and the natural inflation model to achieve the spectral index of 0.96, and the axion decay constant smaller than the Planck scale, f<< M_P. By introducing both U(1)_R and a shift symmetry and employing the minimal Kahler potential, the eta-problem can be still avoided. The two inflaton fields in this model can admit large non-Gaussianity.
The general kind noncanonical warm inflation is introduced and its total non-Gaussianity of perturbation on uniform energy density hypersurfaces is studied. The total non-Gaussianity contains two complementary parts: the three- and the four-point correlations. The three-point correlation part denoted by $f^{int}_{NL}$, comes from the three-point correlation of inflaton field, while the four-point correlation part, denoted by $f_{NL}^{δN}$, is the contribution due to the four-point correlation function of the inflaton field. The aforementioned two parts of non-Gaussianity in general noncanonica…
We review models which generate a large non-Gaussianity of the local form. We first briefly consider three models which generate the non-Gaussianity either at or after the end of inflation; the curvaton scenario, modulated (p)reheating and an inhomogeneous end of inflation. We then focus on ways of generating the non-Gaussianity during inflation. We derive general conditions which a product or sum separable potential must satisfy in order to generate a large local bispectrum during slow-roll inflation. As an application we consider two-field hybrid inflation. We then derive a formalism not bas…
Cosmic inflation provides a mechanism for generating the early density perturbations that seeded the large-scale structures we see today. Primordial non-Gaussianity is among the most promising of few observational tests of physics at this epoch. At present non-Gaussianity is best constrained by the cosmic microwave background, but in the near term large-scale structure data may be competitive so long as the effects of primordial non-Gaussianity can be modeled through the non-linear process of structure formation. We discuss recent work modeling effects of a few types of primordial non-Gaussian…
The Hamilton-Jacobi (HJ) approach for exploring inflationary trajectories is employed in the generation of generalised inflationary non-Gaussian signals arising from single field inflation. Scale dependent solutions for $f_{NL}$ are determined via the numerical integration of the three--point function in the curvature perturbation. This allows the full exploration of single field inflationary dynamics in the out-of-slow-roll regime and opens up the possibility of using future observations of non-Gaussianity to constraint the inflationary potential using model-independent methods. The distribut…
A detection of large local form non-Gaussianity is considered to be able to rule out all single field inflation models. This statement is based on a single field consistency condition. Despite the awareness of some implicit assumptions in the derivation of this condition and the demonstration of corresponding examples that illustrate these caveats, to date there is still no explicit and self-consistent model which can serve as a counterexample to this statement. We present such a model in this Letter.
In this work we effectively calculated the two-dimensional Minkowski functionals for cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature maps generated by single field models of inflation with a standard kinetic term. We started with calculation of the bispectrum of initial perturbations and then calculated the two-dimensional configuration space cubic moments for temperature fluctuations. These cubic moments give rise to first order non-Gaussian correction terms to the Minkowski functionals. Thus, we developed a robust mechanism to predict the amount of non-Gaussianity generated by inflation in the…
Inflationary predictions for the power spectrum of the curvature perturbation have been verified to an excellent degree, leaving many models compatible with observations. In this thesis we studied third-order correlations, that might allow one to further distinguish between inflationary models. From all the possible extensions of the standard inflationary model, we chose to study two-field models with canonical kinetic terms and flat field space. The new feature is the presence of the so-called isocurvature perturbation. Its interplay with the adiabatic perturbation outside the horizon gives b…
We study nonlinear cosmological perturbations and their possible non-Gaussian character in an extended non-minimal inflation where gravity is coupled non-minimally to both the scalar field and its derivatives. By expansion of the action up to the third order, we focus on the non-linearity and non-Gaussianity of perturbations in comparison with recent observational data. By adopting an inflation potential of the form V(phi) = (1/n)(lambda)(phi)^n, we show that for n = 4, for instance, this extended model is consistent with observation if 0.013 <lambda< 0.095 in appropriate units. By restricting…
We study primordial non-gaussianity in supersolid inflation. The dynamics of supersolid is formulated in terms of an effective field theory based on four scalar fields with a shift symmetric action minimally coupled with gravity. In the scalar sector, there are two phonon-like excitations with a kinetic mixing stemming from the completely spontaneous breaking of diffeomorphism. In a squeezed configuration, $f_{\text{NL}}$ of scalar perturbations is angle dependent and not proportional to slow-roll parameters showing a blunt violation of the Maldacena consistency relation. Contrary to solid inf…
We show that modifications of Einstein gravity during inflation could leave potentially measurable imprints on cosmological observables in the form of non-Gaussian perturbations. This is due to the fact that these modifications appear in the form of an extra field that could have non-trivial interactions with the inflaton. We show it explicitly for the case $R+αR^2$, where nearly scale-invariant non-Gaussianity at the level of $f_{\rm NL} \approx -(1$ to $30)$ can be obtained, in a quasi-local configuration.
We investigate non-Gaussianity in general single field models without assuming slow-roll conditions or the exact scale-invariance of the scalar power spectrum. The models considered include general single field inflation (e.g. DBI and canonical inflation) as well as bimetric models. We compute the full non-Gaussian amplitude, its size fnl, its shape, and the running with scale n_{NG}. In doing so we show that observational constraints allow significant violations of slow roll conditions and we derive explicit bounds on slow-roll parameters for fast-roll single field scenarios. A variety of new…
Enormous information about interactions is contained in the non-Gaussianities of the primordial curvature perturbations, which are essential to break the degeneracy of inflationary models. We study the primordial bispectra for G-inflation models predicting both sharp and broad peaks in the primordial scalar power spectrum. We calculate the non-Gaussianity parameter $f_{\mathrm{NL}}$ in the equilateral limit and squeezed limit numerically, and confirm that the consistency relation holds in these models. Even though $f_{\mathrm{NL}}$ becomes large at the scales before the power spectrum reaches …
The presence of multiple fields during inflation might seed a detectable amount of non-Gaussianity in the curvature perturbations, which in turn becomes observable in present data sets like the cosmic microwave background (CMB) or the large scale structure (LSS). Within this proceeding we present a fully analytic method to infer inflationary parameters from observations by exploiting higher-order statistics of the curvature perturbations. To keep this analyticity, and thereby to dispense with numerically expensive sampling techniques, a saddle-point approximation is introduced whose precision …
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.
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 fie…
A $δN$ formalism is used to study the non-Gaussianity of the primordial curvature perturbation on an uniform density hypersurfaces generated by the warm inflation for the first time. After introducing the framework of the warm inflation and the $δN$ formalism, we obtain an analytic expression for the nonlinear parameter $f_{NL}$ that describes the non-Gaussianity in slow roll approximation, and find that the $δN$ formalism gives a very good result. We analyse the magnitude of $f_{NL}$ and compare our result with those of the standard inflation. Then we discuss two concrete examples: the quarti…
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.
We clarify the role of gauge invariance for the computation of quantum non-Gaussian correlators in inflation. A gauge invariant generating functional for n-point functions is given and the special status of the spatially flat gauge is pointed out. We also comment on the relation between gauge transformations, field redefinitions, the choice of $t={\rm const}$ hypersurfaces and the use of boundary terms in computations of non-Gaussianity.
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…
In this paper we establish \textit{formulae} for the inflationary slow-roll parameters $ε$, $η$ and $ζ$ as functions of the Ricci scalar $R$ for $f(R)$ theories of gravity. As examples, we present the analytic and numerical solutions of $ε$, $η$ and $ζ$ as functions of the number of e-folds $N$ in two important instances: for the Starobinsky model and for a $f(R)$ reconstruction of the $α$-Attractors. The highlight of our proposal is to rewrite the slow-roll parameters in terms of $f(R)$, which allows to find directly $n_{\rm s}$, $r$, $α_{\rm s}$ and $f^{\text{equil}}_{\text{NL}}$ as function…
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…
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…
Ultra slow-roll inflation has recently been used to challenge the non-Gaussianity consistency relation. We show that this inflationary scenario belongs to a one parameter class of models and we study its properties and observational predictions. We demonstrate that the power spectrum remains scale-invariant and that the bi-spectrum is of the local type with fnl=5(3-ns)/4 which, indeed, represents a modification of the consistency relation. However, we also show that the system is unstable and suffers from many physical problems among which is the difficulty to correctly WMAP normalize the mode…
We have calculated the third order moments of scalar curvature perturbations in configuration space for different inflationary models. We developed a robust numerical technique to compute the bispectrum for different models that have some features in the inflationary potential. From the bispectrum we evaluated moments analytically in the slow roll regime while we devised a numerical mechanism to calculated these moments for non slow roll single field inflationary models with standard kinetic term that are minimally coupled to gravity. With help of these third order moments one can directly pre…
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…
We consider a supersymmetric hybrid inflation model with two inflaton fields. The superpotential during inflation is dominated by W=(κS+κ' S')M^2, where S, S' are inflatons carrying the same U(1)_R charge, κ, κ' are dimensionless couplings, and M (\sim 10^{15-16} GeV) is a dimensionful parameter associated with a symmetry breaking scale. One light mass eigenstate drives inflation, while the other heavier mass eigenstate is stuck to the origin. The smallness of the lighter inflaton mass for the scalar spectral index n_s\approx 0.96, which is the center value of WMAP7, can be controlled by the r…
The theory and methodology is developed to compute the bispectrum in warm inflation, leading to results for the non-linearity parameter and the shape of the bispectrum. Particular attention is paid to the study of the bispectrum in the regime of weak dissipation and how stochastic fluctuations affect the bispectrum. It is shown that, in contrast to the strong dissipative regime, the amplitude of non-Gaussianity is strongly dependent on the parameters governing the microscopic physics in the intermediate and weak dissipation warm inflation regimes. The most important results concern the shape o…
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…
We study a particular Galileon inflation in the light of Planck2015 observational data in order to constraint the model parameter space. We study the spectrum of the primordial modes of the density perturbations by expanding the action up to the second order in perturbations. Then we pursue by expanding the action up to the third order and find the three point correlation functions to find the amplitude of the non-Gaussianity of the primordial perturbations in this setup. We study the amplitude of the non-Gaussianity both in equilateral and orthogonal configurations and test the model with rec…
In this paper we provide a consistency relation between the amplitude of the hemispherical bipolar asymmetry, $A$, and the amplitude of the primordial non-Gaussianity in the squeezed limit, $f_{NL}$, as $|A| \lesssim 10^{-1} f_{NL}$. We demonstrate that this consistency condition is at work for any model of inflation in which the curvature perturbations is sourced by a single light field with the Bunch-Davies initial condition, irrespective of the number of inflation fields which contribute to the background inflationary expansion. As a non-trivial example, we show that observable hemispherica…
We derive semi-analytic formulae for the local bispectrum and trispectrum in general two-field inflation and provide a simple geometric recipe for building observationally allowed models with observable non-Gaussianity. We use the δN formalism and the transfer function formalism to express the bispectrum almost entirely in terms of model-independent physical quantities. Similarly, we calculate the trispectrum and show that the trispectrum parameter τNL can be expressed entirely in terms of spectral observables, which provides a new consistency relation unique to two-field inflation. We show th…
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.
We study the scalar-tensor-tensor non-Gaussian signal in an inflationary model comprising also an axion coupled with SU(2) gauge fields. In this set-up, metric fluctuations are sourced by the gauge fields already at the linear level providing an enhanced chiral gravitational waves spectrum. The same mechanism is at work in generating an amplitude for the three-point function that is parametrically larger than in standard single-field inflation.
Most, if not all, scalar-tensor theories are equivalent to General Relativity with a disformally coupled matter sector. In extra-dimensional theories such a coupling can be understood as a result of induction of the metric on a brane that matter is confined to. This article presents a first look at the non-Gaussianities in disformally coupled inflation, a simple two-field model that features a novel kinetic interaction. Cases with both canonical and Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) kinetic terms are taken into account, the latter motivated by the possible extra-dimensional origin of the disformality. T…
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 present a generic inference method for inflation models from observational data by the usage of higher-order statistics of the curvature perturbation on uniform density hypersurfaces. This method is based on the calculation of the posterior for the primordial non-Gaussianity parameters $f_\text{NL}$ and $g_\text{NL}$, which in general depend on specific parameters of inflation and reheating models, and enables to discriminate among the still viable inflation models. To keep analyticity as far as possible to dispense with numerically expensive sampling techniques a saddle-point approximation…
Multiple inflation is a model based on N=1 supergravity wherein there are sudden changes in the mass of the inflaton because it couples to 'flat direction' scalar fields which undergo symmetry breaking phase transitions as the universe cools. The resulting brief violations of slow-roll evolution generate a non-gaussian signal which we find to be oscillatory and yielding f_NL ~ 5-20. This is potentially detectable by e.g. Planck but would require new bispectrum estimators to do so. We also derive a model-independent result relating the period of oscillations of a phase transition during inflati…
Typically cold inflation with positive vacuum energy density dilutes all matter except the quan- tum fluctuations which are stretched outside the Hubble patch during inflation. However the cyclic- inflation scenario, where the universe undergoes many many asymmetric cycles leading to an overall exponential growth, operates in the presence of thermal matter. Thus, while some of the nice prop- erties of cold inflation is preserved, in cyclic inflationary models thermal excitations are continually produced and there exists a unique opportunity of imprinting interesting thermal history in CMBR. In…
We compute the super-Hubble evolution of non-Gaussianity of primordial curvature perturbations in two-field inflation models by employing two formalisms: delta N and covariant formalisms. Although two formalisms treat the evolution of fluctuations radically different, we show that the formulas of f_{NL} parameter agree quantitatively with each other within 1 % accuracy. We analytically find that the amplitude of f_{NL} decays no faster than a^{-3} as the inflationary trajectory reaches to the adiabatic limit for generic potentials.
We calculate the three-point correlation function of the comoving curvature perturbation generated during an inflationary epoch driven by false vacuum energy. We get a novel false vacuum shape bispectrum, which peaks in the equilateral limit. Using this result, we propose a scenario which we call "old curvaton". The shape of the resulting bispectrum lies between the local and the false vacuum shapes. In addition we have a large running of the spectral index.
The generation of large-scale magnetic fields in inflationary cosmology is explored, in particular, in a kind of moduli inflation motivated by racetrack inflation in the context of the Type IIB string theory. In this model, the conformal invariance of the hypercharge electromagnetic fields is broken thanks to the coupling of both the scalar and pseudoscalar fields to the hypercharge electromagnetic fields. The following three cosmological observable quantities are first evaluated: The current magnetic field strength on the Hubble horizon scale, which is much smaller than the upper limit from t…
A significant abundance of primordial black hole (PBH) dark matter can be produced by curvature perturbations with power spectrum $Δ_ζ^2(k_{\mathrm{peak}})\sim \mathcal{O}(10^{-2})$ at small scales, associated with the generation of observable scalar induced gravitational waves (SIGWs). However, the primordial non-Gaussianity may play a non-negligible role, which is not usually considered. We propose two inflation models that predict double peaks of order $\mathcal{O}(10^{-2})$ in the power spectrum and study the effects of primordial non-Gaussianity on PBHs and SIGWs. This model is driven by …
