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Non-Gaussian corrections to the probability distribution of the curvature perturbation from inflation

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 06:08 authored by David SeeryDavid Seery, J Carlos Hidalgo
We show how to obtain the probability density function for the amplitude of the curvature perturbation, R, produced during an epoch of slow-roll, single-field inflation, working directly from n-point correlation functions of R. These n-point functions are the usual output of quantum field theory calculations, and as a result we bypass approximate statistical arguments based on the central limit theorem. Our method can be extended to deal with arbitrary forms of non-Gaussianity, appearing at any order in the n-point hierarchy. We compute the probability density for the total smoothed perturbation within a Hubble volume, epsilon, and for the spectrum of epsilon. When only the two-point function is retained, exact Gaussian statistics are recovered. When the three-point function is taken into account, we compute explicitly the leading slow-roll correction to the Gaussian result.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

Issue

7

Volume

2006

Page range

008

Department affiliated with

  • Physics and Astronomy Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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