Large non-Gaussianities with intermediate shapes from quasi-single-field inflation
We study the slow-roll inflation models, where the inflaton slow-rolls along a trajectory whose orthogonal directions are lifted by potentials with masses of order the Hubble parameter. In these models large non-Gaussianities can be generated through the transformation from the isocurvature modes to the curvature mode, once the inflaton trajectory turns. We find large bispectra with a one-parameter family of novel shapes, interpolating between the equilateral and local shape. According to the in-in formalism, the shapes of these non-Gaussianities are different from a simple projection from the isocurvature non-Gaussian correlation functions.

title: Curvaton dynamics and the non-linearity parameters in the curvaton model
abstract: We investigate the curvaton dynamics and the non-linearity parameters in the curvaton model with a potential slightly deviating from the quadratic form in detail. The non-linearity parameter gNL will show up due to the curvaton self-interaction. We also point out that the leading order of the non-quadratic term in the curvaton potential can be negative, for example in the axion-type curvaton model. If a large positive gNL is detected, the axion-type curvaton model will be preferred.

title: Quadra-Spectrum and Quint-Spectrum from Inflation and Curvaton Models
abstract: We calculate the quadra-spectrum and quint-spectrum, corresponding to five and six point correlation functions of the curvature perturbation. For single field inflation with standard kinetic term, the quadra-spectrum and quint-spectrum are small, which are suppressed by slow roll parameters. The calculation can be generalized to multiple fields. When there is no entropy perturbation, the quadra-spectrum and quint-spectrum are suppressed as well. With the presence of entropy perturbation, the quadra-spectrum and quint-spectrum can get boosted. We illustrate this boost in the multi-brid inflation model. For the curvaton scenario, the quadra-spectrum and quint-spectrum are also large in the small r limit. We also calculate representative terms of quadra-spectrum and quint-spectrum for inflation with generalized kinetic terms, and estimate their order of magnitude for quasi-single field inflation.

title: Quasi-Single Field Inflation and Non-Gaussianities
abstract: In quasi-single field inflation models, massive isocurvature modes, that are coupled to the inflaton and have mass of order the Hubble parameter, can have nontrivial impacts on density perturbations, especially non-Gaussianities. We study a simple example of quasi-single field inflation in terms of turning inflaton trajectory. Large bispectra with a one-parameter family of novel shapes arise, lying between the well-known local and equilateral shape. The trispectra can also be very large and its magnitude tNL can be much larger than fNL2.

title: Non-Gaussianity, isocurvature perturbation, gravitational waves, and a no-go theorem for the isocurvaton
abstract: We investigate the isocurvaton model, in which the isocurvature perturbation plays a role in suppressing the curvature perturbation, and large non-Gaussianity and gravitational waves can be produced with no isocurvature perturbation for dark matter. We show that in the slow-roll noninteracting multifield theory, the isocurvaton mechanism cannot be realized. This result can also be generalized to most of the studied models with generalized kinetic terms. We also study the implications for the curvaton model. We show that there is a combined constraint for curvaton on non-Gaussianity, gravitational waves, and isocurvature perturbation. The technique used in this paper can also help to simplify some calculations in the mixed inflaton and curvaton models. We also investigate the possibility of producing large negative non-Gaussianity and nonlocal non-Gaussianity in the curvaton model.

title: CMB statistical anisotropies of classical and quantum origins
abstract: We examine the impact of different anisotropic relics on inflation, in particular the predictions on the density perturbations. These relics can be the source of the large scale anomalies in the cosmic microwave background. There are two different types of background relics, one from the matter sector and the other purely from the metric. Although the angular-dependence of the statistical anisotropy in both cases are degenerate, the scale-dependence are observationally distinctive. In addition, we demonstrate that non-Bunch-Davies vacuum states can extend the statistical anisotropy to much shorter scales, and leave a scale-dependence that is insensitive to the different backgrounds but sensitive to the initial quantum state.

title: EXCHANGE RELATIONS OF LAX PAIR FOR NONLINEAR SIGMA MODELS
abstract: We find that the non-ultralocal term s in classical Yang-Baxter r−s matrix consist of Riemann’s connections of target manifold G/H and field-independent projection operators in local coordinates on symmetric space G/H. We give the gauge transformations formula for the Poisson bracket of Lax pair and r−s matrix, and relate these expressions in terms of moving frame with that of fixed frame by current algebra.

title: Auxiliary functions of the LISA laser link: ranging, clock noise transfer and data communication
abstract: The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is required to reduce two important noise sources by post-processing on the ground using time-delay interferometry (TDI): phase noise of the on-board reference clocks and laser frequency noise. To achieve the desired suppression, the TDI algorithm needs measurements of the differential clock noise between any two spacecraft and inter-spacecraft ranging measurements with at least 1 m accuracy, which is beyond the precision of ground-based measurements for deep space missions. Therefore, we need on-board measurements by transmitting clock noise and ranging information between the spacecraft as auxiliary functions of the laser link. This paper reports our current experimental results in clock noise transfer and ranging for noise subtraction via post-processing as well as additional data transfer.

title: New Color-Octet Vector Boson?
abstract: Both CDF and D0 at Tevatron reported the measurements of forward-backward asymmetry in top pair production, which showed possible deviation from the standard model QCD prediction. In this paper, we show that a new color-octet massive vector boson with mass just above twice that of top quark can simultaneously account for the asymmetry and differential distribution $d\sigma/dM_{t\bar t}$ in top pair production, without conflict with other measurements for example di-jet production. The new particle can be discovered and studied at the more powerful Large Hadron Collider.

title: False vacuum decay in generalized extended inflation
abstract: We study false-vacuum decay in context of generalized extended inflationary theories, and compute the bubble nucleation rates for these theories in the limit of G N → 0. We find that the time dependence of the nucleation rate can be exponentially strong through the time dependence of the Jordan—Brans—Dicke field. This can have a pronounced effect on whether extended inflation can be successfully implemented.

title: Near-infrared interferometric observation of the Herbig Ae star HD 144432 with VLTI/AMBER
abstract: We study the sub-AU-scale circumstellar environment of the Herbig Ae star HD 144432 with near-infrared VLTI/AMBER observations to investigate the structure of its inner dust disk.  The interferometric observations were carried out with the AMBER instrument in the H and K band. We interpret the measured H - and K -band visibilities, the near- and mid-infrared visibilities from the literature, and the spectral energy distribution (SED) of HD 144432 by using geometric ring models and ring-shaped temperature-gradient disk models with power-law temperature distributions.  We derive a K -band ring-fit radius of 0.17 ± 0.01   AU and an H -band radius of 0.18 ± 0.01   AU (for a distance of 145   pc). This measured K -band radius of  ~0.17   AU lies in the range between the dust sublimation radius of  ~0.13   AU (predicted for a dust sublimation temperature of 1500   K and gray dust) and the prediction of models including backwarming (~0.27 AU). We find that an additional extended halo component is required in both the geometric and temperature-gradient modeling. In the best-fit temperature-gradient model, the disk consists of two components. The inner part of the disk is a thin ring with an inner radius of  ~0.21   AU, a temperature of  ~1600   K, and a ring thickness  ~0.02   AU. The outer part extends from  ~1   AU to  ~10   AU with an inner temperature of  ~400   K. We find that the disk is nearly face-on with an inclination angle of Conclusions. Our temperature-gradient modeling suggests that the near-infrared excess is dominated by emission from a narrow, bright rim located at the dust sublimation radius, while an extended halo component contributes  ~6% to the total flux at 2    μ m. The mid-infrared model emission has a two-component structure with  ~20% of the flux originating from the inner ring and the rest from the outer parts. This two-component structure is indicative of a disk gap, which is possibly caused by the shadow of a puffed-up inner rim.