Event



High Energy Theory Seminar: Testing Beyond Slow-Roll Inflation Across Large and Small Cosmic Scales

Matteo Braglia (NYU)
- | David Rittenhouse Laboratory, 3W2
An image of Matteo Braglia

Inflation is widely recognized as the leading theory for explaining the origin of the Big Bang. While the simplest slow-roll models predict a nearly scale-invariant spectrum of primordial density perturbations, deviations from this basic scenario can introduce scale-dependent 'features' in the primordial power spectrum. These features offer valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms at play.

In the first part of this talk, I will delve into the physics behind these deviations from scale invariance. Although these deviations are typically small at the largest observable scales, they can become more pronounced at smaller scales, where experimental constraints are either more lenient or entirely absent. Additionally, I will discuss recent perturbativity issues that have arisen in these regimes.
 

In the second part, I will examine experimental constraints and future opportunities for testing inflation across an extensive range of wavenumbers, spanning nearly 24 decades. This will include Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies, spectral distortions, as well as observations of stochastic gravitational wave backgrounds from Pulsar Timing Arrays and the upcoming LISA experiment.Hope to see everyone there.