McGill.CA / Science / Department of Physics

Informal Pizza Seminar

Non-Gaussianity in models with mixed inflaton and curvaton

Tomo Takahashi

Saga University & Stanford

We study non-Gaussianity, the spectral index of primordial scalar fluctuations and tensor modes in models where fluctuations from the inflaton and the curvaton can both contribute to the present cosmic density fluctuations. Even though simple single-field inflation models generate only tiny non-Gaussianity, if we consider such a mixed scenario, large non-Gaussianity can be produced. Furthermore, we study the inflationary parameters such as the spectral index and the tensor-to-scalar ratio in this kind of models and discuss in what cases models predict the spectral index and tensor modes allowed by the current data while generating large non-Gaussianity, which may have many implications for model-buildings of the inflationary universe.

Tuesday, June 3rd 2008, 13:00
Ernest Rutherford Physics Building, room 326