Models of inflation with primordial non-Gaussianities

Abstract

We present a class of models in which the primordial metric fluctuations do not necessarily obey Gaussian statistics. These models are realizations of mechanisms in which non-Gaussianity is first generated by a light scalar field and then transferred into curvature fluctuations during or at the end of inflation. For this class of models we present generic results for the probability distribution functions of the metric perturbation at the end of inflation. It is stressed that finite volume effects can induce non trivial effects that we sketch.

8 pages with 3 eps figures. To appear in Proceedings of the Albert Einstein Century International Conference, UNESCO, Paris, France, 18-22 July 2005