Ian Huston | Queen Mary, University of London (original) (raw)

Papers by Ian Huston

We numerically calculate the evolution of second order cosmological perturbations for an inflatio... more We numerically calculate the evolution of second order cosmological perturbations for an inflationary scalar field without resorting to the slow-roll approximation or assuming large scales. In contrast to previous approaches we therefore use the full non-slow-roll source term for the second order Klein-Gordon equation which is valid on all scales. The numerical results are consistent with the ones obtained previously where slow-roll is a good approximation. We investigate the effect of localised features in the scalar field potential which break slow-roll for some portion of the evolution. The numerical package solving the second order Klein-Gordon equation has been released under an open source license and is available for download.

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We numerically solve the Klein-Gordon equation at second order in cosmological perturbation theor... more We numerically solve the Klein-Gordon equation at second order in cosmological perturbation theory in closed form for a single scalar field, describing the method employed in detail. We use the slow-roll version of the second order source term and show that our method is extendable to the full equation. We consider two standard single field models and find that the results agree with previous calculations using analytic methods, where comparison is possible. Our procedure allows the evolution of second order perturbations in general and the calculation of the non-linearity parameter f_NL to be examined in cases where there is no analytical solution available.

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A class of non-canonical inflationary models is identified, where the leading-order contribution ... more A class of non-canonical inflationary models is identified, where the leading-order contribution to the non-Gaussianity of the curvature perturbation is determined by the sound speed of the fluctuations in the inflaton field. Included in this class of models is the effective action for multiple coincident branes in the finite n limit. The action for this configuration is determined using a powerful iterative technique, based upon the fundamental representation of SU(2). In principle the upper bounds on the tensor-scalar ratio that arise in the standard, single-brane DBI inflationary scenario can be relaxed in such multi-brane configurations if a large and detectable non-Gaussianity is generated. Moreover models with a small number of coincident branes could generate a gravitational wave background that will be observable to future experiments.

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An upper bound on the amplitude of the primordial gravitational wave spectrum generated during ul... more An upper bound on the amplitude of the primordial gravitational wave spectrum generated during ultra-violet DBI inflation is derived. The bound is insensitive to the form of the inflaton potential and the warp factor of the compactified dimensions and can be expressed entirely in terms of observational parameters once the volume of the five-dimensional sub-manifold of the throat has been specified. For standard type IIB compactification schemes, the bound predicts undetectably small tensor perturbations with a tensor-scalar ratio r<10−7r < 10^{-7}r<10−7. This is incompatible with a corresponding lower limit of r>0.1(1−ns)r > 0.1 (1-n_s)r>0.1(1−ns), which applies to any model that generates a red spectral index ns<1n_s <1ns<1 and a potentially detectable non-Gaussianity in the curvature perturbation. Possible ways of evading these bounds in more general DBI-type scenarios are discussed and a multiple-brane model is investigated as a specific example.

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Arxiv preprint arXiv:1004.4794, Jan 1, 2010

In this paper we summarise the status of single field models of inflation in light of the WMAP 7 ... more In this paper we summarise the status of single field models of inflation in light of the WMAP 7 data release. We find little has changed since the 5 year release, and results are consistent with previous findings. The increase in the upper bound on the running of the spectral index impacts on the status of the production of Primordial Black Holes from single field models. The lower bound on the equilateral configuration of the non-gaussianity parameter is reduced and thus the bounds on the theoretical parameters of (UV) DBI single brane models are weakened. In the case of multiple coincident branes the bounds are also weakened and the two, three or four brane cases will produce a tensor-signal that could possibly be observed in the future.

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Arxiv preprint arXiv:1006.5321, Jan 1, 2010

Inflationary cosmology is the leading explanation of the very early universe. Many different mode... more Inflationary cosmology is the leading explanation of the very early universe. Many different models of inflation have been constructed which fit current observational data. In this work theoretical and numerical methods for constraining the parameter space of a wide class of such models are described. First, string-theoretic models with large non-Gaussian signatures are investigated. An upper bound is placed on the amplitude of primordial gravitational waves produced by ultra-violet Dirac-Born-Infeld inflation. In all but the most finely tuned cases, this bound is incompatible with a lower bound derived for inflationary models which exhibit a red spectrum and detectable non-Gaussianity. By analysing general non-canonical actions, a class of models is found which can evade the upper bound when the phase speed of perturbations is small. The multi-coincident brane scenario with a finite number of branes is one such model. For models with a potentially observable gravitational wave spectrum the number of coincident branes is shown to take only small values. The second method of constraining inflationary models is the numerical calculation of second order perturbations for a general class of single field models. The Klein-Gordon equation at second order, written in terms of scalar field variations only, is numerically solved. The slow roll version of the second order source term is used and the method is shown to be extendable to the full equation. This procedure allows the evolution of second order perturbations in general and the calculation of the non-Gaussianity parameter in cases where there is no analytical solution available.

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We numerically calculate the evolution of second order cosmological perturbations for an inflatio... more We numerically calculate the evolution of second order cosmological perturbations for an inflationary scalar field without resorting to the slow-roll approximation or assuming large scales. In contrast to previous approaches we therefore use the full non-slow-roll source term for the second order Klein-Gordon equation which is valid on all scales. The numerical results are consistent with the ones obtained previously where slow-roll is a good approximation. We investigate the effect of localised features in the scalar field potential which break slow-roll for some portion of the evolution. The numerical package solving the second order Klein-Gordon equation has been released under an open source license and is available for download.

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We numerically solve the Klein-Gordon equation at second order in cosmological perturbation theor... more We numerically solve the Klein-Gordon equation at second order in cosmological perturbation theory in closed form for a single scalar field, describing the method employed in detail. We use the slow-roll version of the second order source term and show that our method is extendable to the full equation. We consider two standard single field models and find that the results agree with previous calculations using analytic methods, where comparison is possible. Our procedure allows the evolution of second order perturbations in general and the calculation of the non-linearity parameter f_NL to be examined in cases where there is no analytical solution available.

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A class of non-canonical inflationary models is identified, where the leading-order contribution ... more A class of non-canonical inflationary models is identified, where the leading-order contribution to the non-Gaussianity of the curvature perturbation is determined by the sound speed of the fluctuations in the inflaton field. Included in this class of models is the effective action for multiple coincident branes in the finite n limit. The action for this configuration is determined using a powerful iterative technique, based upon the fundamental representation of SU(2). In principle the upper bounds on the tensor-scalar ratio that arise in the standard, single-brane DBI inflationary scenario can be relaxed in such multi-brane configurations if a large and detectable non-Gaussianity is generated. Moreover models with a small number of coincident branes could generate a gravitational wave background that will be observable to future experiments.

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An upper bound on the amplitude of the primordial gravitational wave spectrum generated during ul... more An upper bound on the amplitude of the primordial gravitational wave spectrum generated during ultra-violet DBI inflation is derived. The bound is insensitive to the form of the inflaton potential and the warp factor of the compactified dimensions and can be expressed entirely in terms of observational parameters once the volume of the five-dimensional sub-manifold of the throat has been specified. For standard type IIB compactification schemes, the bound predicts undetectably small tensor perturbations with a tensor-scalar ratio r<10−7r < 10^{-7}r<10−7. This is incompatible with a corresponding lower limit of r>0.1(1−ns)r > 0.1 (1-n_s)r>0.1(1−ns), which applies to any model that generates a red spectral index ns<1n_s <1ns<1 and a potentially detectable non-Gaussianity in the curvature perturbation. Possible ways of evading these bounds in more general DBI-type scenarios are discussed and a multiple-brane model is investigated as a specific example.

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Arxiv preprint arXiv:1004.4794, Jan 1, 2010

In this paper we summarise the status of single field models of inflation in light of the WMAP 7 ... more In this paper we summarise the status of single field models of inflation in light of the WMAP 7 data release. We find little has changed since the 5 year release, and results are consistent with previous findings. The increase in the upper bound on the running of the spectral index impacts on the status of the production of Primordial Black Holes from single field models. The lower bound on the equilateral configuration of the non-gaussianity parameter is reduced and thus the bounds on the theoretical parameters of (UV) DBI single brane models are weakened. In the case of multiple coincident branes the bounds are also weakened and the two, three or four brane cases will produce a tensor-signal that could possibly be observed in the future.

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Arxiv preprint arXiv:1006.5321, Jan 1, 2010

Inflationary cosmology is the leading explanation of the very early universe. Many different mode... more Inflationary cosmology is the leading explanation of the very early universe. Many different models of inflation have been constructed which fit current observational data. In this work theoretical and numerical methods for constraining the parameter space of a wide class of such models are described. First, string-theoretic models with large non-Gaussian signatures are investigated. An upper bound is placed on the amplitude of primordial gravitational waves produced by ultra-violet Dirac-Born-Infeld inflation. In all but the most finely tuned cases, this bound is incompatible with a lower bound derived for inflationary models which exhibit a red spectrum and detectable non-Gaussianity. By analysing general non-canonical actions, a class of models is found which can evade the upper bound when the phase speed of perturbations is small. The multi-coincident brane scenario with a finite number of branes is one such model. For models with a potentially observable gravitational wave spectrum the number of coincident branes is shown to take only small values. The second method of constraining inflationary models is the numerical calculation of second order perturbations for a general class of single field models. The Klein-Gordon equation at second order, written in terms of scalar field variations only, is numerically solved. The slow roll version of the second order source term is used and the method is shown to be extendable to the full equation. This procedure allows the evolution of second order perturbations in general and the calculation of the non-Gaussianity parameter in cases where there is no analytical solution available.

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