Non-linear metric perturbations and production of primordial black holes

Abstract

We consider the simple inflationary model with peculiarity in the form of "plateau" in the inflaton potential. We use the formalism of coarse-grained field to describe the production of metric perturbations $h$ of an arbitrary amplitude and obtain non-Gaussian probability function for such metric perturbations. We associate the spatial regions having large perturbations $h\sim 1$ with the regions going to primordial black holes after inflation. We show that in our model the non-linear effects can lead to overproduction of the primordial black holes.

13 pages, 2 Postscript figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. D