The Sign of non-Gaussianity and the Primordial Black Holes Abundance

TL;DR

This paper investigates how local non-Gaussianity affects primordial black hole abundance, showing that in certain inflation models, the non-Gaussianity parameter is always positive, impacting interpretations of gravitational wave data.

Contribution

It demonstrates that in non-attractor single-field inflation models, the non-Gaussianity parameter $f_{NL}$ is always positive at the peak of the curvature power spectrum.

Findings

Positive $f_{NL}$ increases PBH abundance.

Negative $f_{NL}$ reduces PBH abundance.

Implication for interpreting pulsar timing array data.

Abstract

The abundance of primordial black holes changes in the presence of local non-Gaussianity. A positive non-linear parameter $f_{NL}$ increases the abundance while a negative one reduces it. We show that in non-attractor single-field models of inflation which enhance the curvature power spectrum and may give rise to primordial black holes, $f_{NL}$ is always positive, when computed in correspondence of the peak of the curvature power spectrum where the primordial black hole abundance has its maximum. This implies that the interpretation of the recent pulsar timing arrays data from scalar-induced gravitational waves generated at primordial black hole formation may not be supported by invoking non-Gaussianity within non-attractor single-field models.