English

Inflationary non-Gaussianities in the most general second-order scalar-tensor theories

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2011-10-11 v2 Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

For very general scalar-field theories in which the equations of motion are at second-order, we evaluate the three-point correlation function of primordial scalar perturbations generated during inflation. We show that the shape of non-Gaussianities is well approximated by the equilateral type. The equilateral non-linear parameter f_NL^equil is derived on the quasi de Sitter background where the slow-variation parameters are much smaller than unity. We apply our formula for f_NL^equil to a number of single-field models of inflation--such as k-inflation, k-inflation with Galileon terms, potential-driven Galileon inflation, nonminimal coupling models (including field-derivative coupling models), and Gauss-Bonnet gravity.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1107.3917,
  title  = {Inflationary non-Gaussianities in the most general second-order scalar-tensor theories},
  author = {Antonio De Felice and Shinji Tsujikawa},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1107.3917},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

17 pages, 1 figure, uses RevTeX. The version to appear in Physical Review D