The curvaton inflationary model, non-Gaussianity and isocurvature – Maria Beltran

Date: Tue. March 31st, 2009, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
Location: Rockefeller 221

The inflationary paradigm has become one of the most compelling candidates to explain the observed cosmological phenomena. However, the data is still inconclusive about the particular details of the inflationary model. Apart from the basic, single field model, there exists a wide range of currently undistinguishable possibilities for the scalar field number, potential and couplings during the early universe. In this talk I will review one of these extensions of the basic inflationary model, the curvaton model, where at least two scalar fields are present during inflation. I will revisit the constraints on the parameters of the model in light of the results of recent non-Gaussianity analyses and bounds on the cold dark matter isocurvature contribution in the primordial anisotropies of the CMB. I will present the consequences for the plausibility of the model and interesting implications for the nature of the cold dark matter.