Effective Field Theories in Inflation - 2009

Modifications of the initial-state of the inflaton field can induce a departure from Gaussianity and leave a testable imprint on the higher order correlations of the CMB and large scale structures in the Universe. I will discuss general vacuum state modifications in the case of a canonical single…

We investigate the feasibility of explosive particle production via parametric resonance or tachyonic preheating in multi-field inflationary models by means of lattice simulations. We observe a strong suppression of resonances in the presence of four-leg interactions between the inflaton fields and…

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Single field inflation with derivative interactions provides a class of scenarios with interesting theoretical and observational properties. I will discuss properties of correlation functions in generic single field models and the implications of those relationships for inflationary observables, as…

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We use the power-counting formalism of effective field  theory to study the size of loop corrections in theories of slow-roll inflation, with the aim of more precisely identifying the limits of validity of the usual classical inflationary treatments. Although most slow-roll models lie within the…

Inflationary cosmology provides a causal mechanism for the generation of super-Hubble cosmological fluctuations. There have been many alternative proposals suggested to accomplish this feat, however these all seem to share the need to violate at least the Null Energy Condition. I will attempt to…

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