Related papers: How Gaussian can our Universe be?
The presence of additional particles during inflation leads to non-Gaussianity in late-time correlators of primordial curvature perturbations. The shape and amplitude of this signal depend on the mass and spin of the extra particles.…
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…
We present a novel theory of the very early universe which addresses the traditional horizon and flatness problems of big bang cosmology and predicts a scale invariant spectrum of perturbations. Unlike inflation, this scenario requires no…
We consider the description of the clustering of halos for physically-motivated types of non-Gaussian initial conditions. In particular we include non-Gaussianity of the type arising from single field slow-roll, multi fields, curvaton…
The coupling of gravity to a scalar field raises a number of interesting questions of principle since the usual minimal coupling obtained by replacing ordinary derivatives with covariant derivatives is not available -- they are the same…
The gravitational equations were derived in general relativity (GR) using the assumption of their covariance relative to arbitrary transformations of coordinates. It has been repeatedly expressed an opinion over the past century that such…
We develop a theory of nonlinear cosmological perturbations on superhorizon scales for a single scalar field with a general kinetic term and a general form of the potential. We employ the ADM formalism and the spatial gradient expansion…
We discuss the issue of observables in general-relativistic perturbation theory, adopting the view that any observable in general relativity is represented by a scalar field on spacetime. In the context of perturbation theory, an observable…
Although cosmological observations suggest that the fluctuations of seed fields are almost Gaussian, the possibility of a small deviation of their fields from Gaussianity is widely discussed. Theoretically, there exist numerous inflationary…
I adopt a formalism previously developed by Catelan and Theuns (CT) in order to estimate the impact of primordial non-Gaussianity on the quasi-linear spin growth of cold dark matter protostructures. A variety of bispectrum shapes are…
We study the spectrum of cosmological fluctuations in scenarios such as Galilean Genesis in which a spectator scalar field acquires a scale-invariant spectrum of perturbations during an early phase which asymptotes in the far past to…
To explain the accelerated expansion of late universe, the 1/R correction to Einstein gravity is usually considered, where R is the Ricci scalar. This correction term is generally believed to be negligible in the early universe. However, if…
Enormous information about interactions is contained in the non-Gaussianities of the primordial curvature perturbations, which are essential to break the degeneracy of inflationary models. We study the primordial bispectra for G-inflation…
Emergent modified gravity is a post-Einsteinian gravitational theory where spacetime geometry is not fundamental but rather emerges from the gravitational degrees of freedom in a non-trivial way. The specific relationship between geometry…
Cosmological perturbation theory is a key tool to study the universe. The linear or first order theory is well understood, however, developing and applying the theory beyond linear order is at the cutting edge of current research in…
We study a model of inflation where the scalar perturbations are almost gaussian while there is sizable (equilateral) nongaussianity in the tensor sector. In this model, a rolling pseudoscalar gravitationally coupled to the inflaton…
In this paper we consider how non-Gaussianity of the primordial density perturbation and the amplitude of gravitational waves from inflation can be used to determine parameters of the curvaton scenario for the origin of structure. We show…
A tensor-type cosmological perturbation, defined as a transverse and traceless spatial fluctuation, is often interpreted as the gravitational waves. While decoupled from the scalar-type perturbations in linear order, the tensor…
In this thesis, we discuss several instances in which non-linear behaviour affects cosmological evolution in the early Universe. We begin by reviewing the standard cosmological model and the tools used to understand it theoretically and to…
The Universe may harbor relics of the post-inflationary epoch in the form of a network of self-ordered scalar fields. Such fossils, while consistent with current cosmological data at trace levels, may leave too weak an imprint on the cosmic…