Abstract
Features in the inflaton potential that are traversed in much less than an e-fold of the expansion can produce observably large non-Gaussianity. In these models first-order corrections to the curvature mode function evolution induce effects at second order in the slow-roll parameters that are generically greater than ∼10% and can reach order unity for order unity power spectrum features. From a complete first-order expression in generalized slow roll, we devise a computationally efficient method that is as simple to evaluate as the leading-order one and implements consistency relations in a controlled fashion. This expression matches direct numerical computation for step potential models of the dominant bispectrum configurations to better than 1% when features are small and 10% when features are order unity.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 103531 |
Journal | Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology |
Volume | 85 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 29 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Nuclear and High Energy Physics
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)