Non-Gaussianity of a single scalar field in general covariant Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz gravity

TL;DR

This paper investigates non-Gaussianity in single scalar field inflation within Hořava-Lifshitz gravity, revealing enhanced bispectrum and nonlinearity parameter due to modified dispersion relations and higher-order operators.

Contribution

It introduces the effects of Hořava-Lifshitz gravity on non-Gaussianity, showing significant differences from general relativity in bispectrum amplitude and mode function behavior.

Findings

Enhanced non-Gaussianity and large $f_{NL}$ compared to GR.

Modified dispersion relations lead to superpositions of oscillatory mode functions.

Large folded shape enhancement in the bispectrum.

Abstract

In this paper, we study non-Gaussianity generated by a single scalar field in slow-roll inflation in the framework of the non-relativistic general covariant Ho\v{r}ava-Lifshitz theory of gravity with the projectability condition and an arbitrary coupling constant $\lambda$, where $\lambda$ characterizes the deviation of the theory from general relativity (GR) in the infrared. We find that the leading effect of self-interaction, in contrary to the case of minimal scenario of GR, is in general of the order $\hat{\alpha}_{n} \epsilon^{3/2}$, where $\epsilon$ is a slow-roll parameter, and $\hat{\alpha}_{n} (n = 3, 5)$ are the dimensionless coupling coefficients of the six-order operators of the Lifshitz scalar, and have no contributions to power spectra and indices of both scalar and tensor. The bispectrum, comparing with the standard one given in GR, is enhanced, and gives rise to a large value of the nonlinearity parameter $f_{\text{NL}}$.We study how the modified dispersion relation with high order moment terms affects the evaluation of the mode function and in turn the bispectrum, and show explicitly that the mode function takes various asymptotic forms during different periods of its evolution. In particular, we find that it is in general of superpositions of oscillatory functions, instead of plane waves like in the minimal scenario of GR. This results in a large enhancement of the folded shape in the bispectrum.