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Correlation functions in stochastic inflation

  • University of Portsmouth
  • Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences
  • Universiteit Utrecht

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

204 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Combining the stochastic and $$\delta N$$δN formalisms, we derive non-perturbative analytical expressions for all correlation functions of scalar perturbations in single-field, slow-roll inflation. The standard, classical formulas are recovered as saddle-point limits of the full results. This yields a classicality criterion that shows that stochastic effects are small only if the potential is sub-Planckian and not too flat. The saddle-point approximation also provides an expansion scheme for calculating stochastic corrections to observable quantities perturbatively in this regime. In the opposite regime, we show that a strong suppression in the power spectrum is generically obtained, and we comment on the physical implications of this effect.

Original languageEnglish
Article number413
JournalEuropean Physical Journal C
Volume75
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 13 Sept 2015
Externally publishedYes

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