A numerical approach to stochastic inflation and primordial black holes

TL;DR

This paper discusses recent advances in numerical methods for stochastic inflation, enabling better modeling of non-linear effects crucial for understanding the formation of primordial black holes in various inflationary models.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical approach to stochastic inflation that captures more non-linear effects than analytical methods, applicable to diverse single-field inflation models.

Findings

Numerical methods improve modeling of non-linear perturbations.

Applicable to a wide range of inflationary potentials.

Enhances understanding of primordial black hole formation.

Abstract

Certain models of cosmic inflation produce strong cosmological perturbations at short length scales, which may later collapse into primordial black holes. To find the statistics of these strong perturbations and the ensuing black holes, it is necessary to go beyond linear perturbation theory. Stochastic inflation provides a way to take the leading non-linear effects into account. In this contribution, I discuss recent progress in numerical computations of stochastic inflation. A numerical approach can include more of the non-linearities than an analytical calculation, and can be applied to single-field inflationary models with any potential.