Primordial non-Gaussianity from two curvaton decays

Hooshyar Assadullahi (ICG. Portsmouth)

Phys. Rev. D 76,103003(arxiv:0708.0223v1) H. Assadullahi, J. Valiviita, D. Wands

1th of July-Sheffield university

Outline:
Primordial curvature perturbation. Curvaton scenario. Non-Gausianity with one curvaton. Non-Gausianity with two curvatons. Conclusion.

Curvature perturbation (first order):

The gauge invariant, used to describe the large-scale curvature perturbation is:

H &
It is curvature perturbation on uniform density gauge, and the density perturbation on uniform curvature slices.

Generally curvature perturbation is constant if: 1.Consider large scale 2.Pressure is only function of density (Baryotropic) 3.Non-interacting system

Single field inflation:

In inflation models, the inflaton field plays two roles: makes the universe expand enough and generates primordial density perturbation. If the inflaton made primordial density perturbations, introduce extra fine tuning into the model: for example, inflaton mass could be large (m H), without considering perturbations.

Curvaton scenario:

Wands, Lyth :Phys. Lett. B 524, 5 Moroi and T. Takahashi, Phys. Lett. B 522, 215 K. Enqvist and M. S. Sloth, Nucl. Phys. B626, 395

perturbations in some field other than the inflaton could be responsible for the primordial density perturbation curvaton

Generating curvature perturbation by curvaton:

The curvaton field is supposed to be light during inflation, with small effective mass, m << H
4 At end of inflation the energy of the inflaton field is converted into radiation r a

2 After inflation H is a decreasing function of time. Finally m > H 2 and curvaton starts to oscillate.
3 The curvaton field behaves like pressure less matter a

so

Decay rate( ) of curvaton is negligible as long as H > Curvaton decays some time before nucleosynthesis. H dec =

a r

Curvaton perturbations:
The curvaton field is supposed to be practically free during inflation, so its power spectrum at Hubble exit is:
P ( k )
1 2

H 2

The energy density in oscillating field after inflation is:

2 ~ ( x , t ) = m 2 ( x , t )

The perturbation of the curvaton field is:

1 = 3

2 3

Considering two fields (radiation and curvaton) the total curvature perturbation will be:

tot

& r &

& &

Curvaton scenario corresponds to the case where the density perturbation in the radiation produced at the end of inflation is negligible:

Before curvato n decay After curvaton decay

tot =

3 H ( + p ) 3 = 3 H ( + p ) 3 H ( r + p r ) 3 + 4 r
3 ) decay 3 + 4 r

tot = r

r=(

If the curvaton completely dominates the energy density before it decays we have r = 1, otherwise r < 1.

Non-Gaussianity:
The simplest (possible) non-Gaussianity is caused by the square of the first order perturbation. Up to second order the perturbation can be written:

The primordial power spectrum:

3 = 1 + f NL 12 5

( kr ) ( kr
1

r r = ( 2 ) P ( k 1 ) ( k 1 + k 2 )
3 3

The primordial bispectrum is:

( kr ) ( kr ) ( kr )
1 2 3

r r r = ( 2 ) B ( k1 + k 2 + k 3 ) ( k1 + k 2 + k 3 )
3 3

The bispectrum vanishes for a purely Gaussian distribution The bispectrum relative to the power spectrum is commonly parameterized in terms of f NL :
B ( k1 + k 2 + k 3 ) = 6 f NL [ P( k1 ) P( k 2 ) + 2 perm ] 5

Non-Gausianity with one curvaton (M. Sasaki , J.Valiviita & D. Wands(Phys. Rev. D 74,
103003))

In the sudden decay approximation, the bi-spectrum calculation leads to:

f NL 5 1 5 5 gg ' ' (r ) = (1 + ) r '2 4 r 3 6 g

Where g describes the evolution of the curvaton between Hubble-exit during inflation and the beginning of the field oscillations:

osc = g ( )
If we consider (r<<1) and linear evolution( g'' = 0 ):
f NL = 5 4r

The non-linearity becomes large only if the transfer of curvaton to curvature perturbation is inefficient (curvaton decays before it dominates the universe).

Non-Gausianity with two curvatons: (H. Assadullahi, J. Valiviita , D. Wands Phys. Rev. D 76,103003)
We assume that the curvaton a decays first when H = followed by the decay of the a curvaton b when H = b, ( < a ). b The primordial curvature perturbation after both curvatons decay can be written up to second order in terms of the first order curvatons perturbations:

2 = 2 (1) + 2 ( 2 ) = A a (1) + B b (1) +

1 2

1 1 1 C a2(1) + D b2(1) + E a (1) b (1) 2 2 2

We also find the relation between power spectra of each curvaton field and power spectrum of curvature perturbation:

2 P = 2 P 2 2 A + B Where is the ratio between power spectrum of b and a :

b

Pa =

1 P 2 2 2 A + B

P b = 2 P a
If we use all above relations we get:
r r r (k1 ) (k 2 ) (k3 ) = A 2C + 4 B 2 D + 1 2 ABE r r r 3 ( 3) 2 {P ( k1 ) P (k 2 )}( 2 ) ( k1 + k 2 + k 3 ) + perms ( A2 + 2 B 2 ) 2

So we can derive

f NL

for two curvatons:

5 6 CA
2

f NL =

1 2 EAB + 2 ( A 2 + 2B 2 )2

DB

At first order we have:

= ra a , in + rb b , in
ra = [(1 f b 2 )(3 + f a1 ) f a1 ] [3(1 f b1 ) + f a1 ] rb = [(1 f b1 ) f b 2 (3 + f a1 ) + f a1 f b1 ] [3(1 f b1 ) + f a1 ]

Where:

f a1 = 3 a (4 r 0 + 3 a + 3 b ) f b1 = 3 b (4 r 0 + 3 a + 3 b ) f b 2 = 3 b (4 r + 3 b )

at first decay at first decay

at second decay

We can find A,B,C,D from second order calculation which are complicated functions of energy density of curvatons at their decay time.

f NL

in various limits:

I:Single curvaton limits:

If density of first or second curvaton is always zero ( fa = 0 or fb1 = fb 2 = 0 ):

f NL =

5 5 5r = f NL(single) 4r 3 6

II: Simultaneous decay of two curvatons:

If second curvaton decays at the same time as the first curvaton, we get:

b1 = b 2 f b1 = (1 + f a1 3) f b 2
In the limiting case where the second curvaton is homogeneous ( = 0):
f NL= f NL
single

( f a1 )

When the first curvaton is homogeneous ( ) we get:

5 f b1 6

single f NL = f NL ( f b1 ) 5 f a1

In either case the example of two curvatons which decay at the same time does not reduce exactly to the case of a single curvaton. The minimum value for f NL (for any value of ) is still that found for a single curvaton:
min( f NL ) = 5 = min( f NL ) (Single) 4

III:Both curvatons subdominate at decay:

If both curvatons decay before they dominate the energy density( f a1 , f b1 , f b 2 << 1 ) we can simplify the non-Gausianity parameter:
f
NL

5 r a3 + 4 ( r a2 +

4 2

r b3
2

r b2 )

Like for one curvaton, f NL is big if both curvatons are subdominant when they decay. But if the last curvaton is homogenous ( = 0), it dilutes the effect of first curvaton and we can have big non-Gausianity even when both curvatons dominate before they decay. (this is a novel effect that has not been discovered with one curvaton)

f NL

1 , r a f ( a 1 )[ 1 f ( b 2 )] ( if ) f ( a 1 ), f ( b 2 ) 1 f NL >> 1 ra

General case:
f NL

when P = P ( = 1)
a b

f NL

Conclusion:
The curvaton is the proposal for how primordial density perturbation may arise from vacuum fluctuations of a light scalar field that does not dominate during inflation. Detection of primordial non-Gaussianity could provide support for a curvatontype scenario. If we take seriously the multiplicity of scalar fields in the early universe, we should consider more than one field can contribute to the primordial density perturbation. With one or two curvatons fields the non-Gausianity becomes large if the transfer of curvaton to curvature perturbation is inefficient. With two curvaton we can have big non-Gausianity even when the two fields dominate before they decay, if the second curvaton is homogeneous. In this case the second curvaton dilutes the first order perturbation. It should be straightforward to extend our analysis to three or more curvatons.

f NL When = 0