The Four-point Correlator in Multifield Inflation, the Operator Product Expansion and the Symmetries of de Sitter

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the four-point correlator in multifield inflation using operator product expansion and de Sitter symmetries, revealing that intrinsic non-Gaussianity of light fields can dominate and affect observable structures.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis of the four-point correlator in multifield inflation, highlighting the significance of intrinsic non-Gaussianity contributions and their distinct shapes.

Findings

Intrinsic non-Gaussianity can dominate the four-point correlator.

Different shapes of non-Gaussianity impact observable clustering.

Operator product expansion helps characterize non-Gaussian features.

Abstract

We study the multifield inflationary models where the cosmological perturbation is sourced by light scalar fields other than the inflaton. We exploit the operator product expansion and partly the symmetries present during the de Sitter epoch to characterize the non-Gaussian four-point correlator in the squeezed limit. We point out that the contribution to it from the intrinsic non-Gaussianity of the light fields at horizon crossing can be larger than the usually studied contribution arising on superhorizon scales and it comes with a different shape. Our findings indicate that particular attention needs to be taken when studying the effects of the primordial NG on real observables, such as the clustering of dark matter halos.