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Published June 8, 2017 | Published + Submitted
Journal Article Open

Next non-Gaussianity frontier: What can a measurement with σ (f_(NL)) ≲ 1 tell us about multifield inflation?

Abstract

Future galaxy surveys promise to probe local primordial non-Gaussianity at unprecedented precision, σ (f_(NL)) ≲ 1. We study the implications for multifield inflation by considering spectator models, where inflation is driven by the inflaton field, but the primordial perturbations are (partially) generated by a second, spectator field. We perform a Markov chain Monte Carlo likelihood analysis using Planck data to study quantitative predictions for f_(NL) and other observables for a range of such spectator models. We show that models where the primordial perturbations are dominated by the spectator field, while fine-tuned within the broader parameter space, typically predict f_(NL) of order unity. Therefore, upcoming galaxy clustering measurements will constitute a stringent test of whether or not the generation of primordial perturbations and the accelerated expansion in the inflationary universe are due to separate phenomena.

Additional Information

© 2017 American Physical Society. Received 2 January 2017; published 8 June 2017. We would like to thanks P. Bull and D. Green for helpful discussions. Part of the research described in this paper was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This research is partially supported by NASA ROSES ATP 14-ATP14-0093 grant. RdP and O. D. acknowledge support by the Heising-Simons foundation.

Attached Files

Published - PhysRevD.95.123507.pdf

Submitted - 1612.05248.pdf

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PhysRevD.95.123507.pdf
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August 19, 2023
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