Curvaton model completed

Abstract

In an inflationary cosmology, the observed primoridal density perturbation could come from the quantum fluctuations of another light 'curvaton' field, rather than the inflaton. In this case, it is essential that the curvaton decays, converting its perturbation to an adiabatic perturbation. For the first time, we consistently account for this decay in the simplest curvaton model V(σ) = (m^2σ^2)/2 and point out that it gives rise to an important logarithmic correction to the potential. Moreover, the potential will also receive a correction from the thermal bath. As a consequence, the dynamics of the curvaton are substantially altered compared to the original model in the majority of the parameter space. It will therefore be necessary to re-calculate all the predictions of the original model.

4 pages, 2 figures. Figures and discussion updated and clarified

References in corpus (2)

• Seven-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Cosmological Interpretation
• The Subdominant Curvaton

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Spectator field dynamics in de Sitter and curvaton initial conditions
• Curvaton Decay by Resonant Production of the Standard Model Higgs
• Quantum Corrections to Inflaton and Curvaton Dynamics
• Quantum corrections to inflation: the importance of RG-running and choosing the optimal RG-scale
• Non-Gaussianity in the inflating curvaton
• Electrically charged curvaton
• Curvaton mechanism after multi-field inflation
• Quantifying the 'naturalness' of the curvaton model
• Reheating dynamics affects non-perturbative decay of spectator fields