Scalar-tensor Anticross-correlation Does Not Help to Reconcile the Tension Between BICEP2 and Planck
We examine the recent proposal that the anticross-correlation of the scalar and tensor primordial fluctuations reconciles the tension between BICEP2 and Planck observations. We show that unfortunately the contribution from the scalar-tensor correlation to the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature power spectrum vanishes once summed over the angular mode m so the tension between BICEP2 and Planck cannot be reconciled. The reason is that one has to use the spin-weighted spherical harmonics when projecting fields with nonzero spins into the CMB sky. These nonzero spin-weighted spherical harmonics are subject to orthogonality conditions when summed over the angular direction, and thus, the desired cross-correlation between the scalar and tensor perturbations in CMB map vanishes.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Modeling realistic Earth matter density for CP violation in neutrino oscillation
abstract: We examine the effect of a more realistic Earth matter density model which takes into account of the local density variations along the baseline of a possible 2100 km very long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. Its influence to the measurement of CP violation is investigated and a comparison with the commonly used global density models made. Significant differences are found in the comparison of the results of the different density models. PCAC 14.60.Pq , 11.30.Er

title: Effects of galaxy mergers on the faint IRAS source counts and the background
abstract: Binary merging constitutes a complementary mode of galaxy evolution to the canonical hierarchical clustering theory. This merger-driven evolution not only influences the galaxy mass distribution function, but may drive the main galactic activity cycles, such as starbursts and the activity in the nuclei (AGNs). In this paper, we use galaxy aggregation dynamics together with a possible merger-driven starburst and AGN phenomena, to study the effects of evolution of these consequential activities for the faint IRAS source counts and the infra-red background. We find that the strong evolution of IRAS 60 mu m source count at flux range of 10 mJy similar to 1 Jy is difficult to be explained only by the merger rate decrease with cosmic time. We need to assume a redshift dependent infrared burst phase of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIGs) from the gas rich mergers at high redshift and the gas poor mergers at low redshift. The background intensity at 60 mu m which we get from this aggregation evolution is a lower Limit of only 1.9 nW m(-2) sr(-1), about half of those estimated by some previous models, but close to the lower end of the range derived by Malkan & Stecker (1998).

title: Planck priors for dark energy surveys
abstract: Although cosmic microwave background anisotropy data alone cannot constrain simultaneously the spatial curvature and the equation of state of dark energy, CMB data provide a valuable addition to other experimental results. However computing a full CMB power spectrum with a Boltzmann code is quite slow; for instance if we want to work with many dark energy and/or modified gravity models, or would like to optimize experiments where many different configurations need to be tested, it is possible to adopt a quicker and more efficient approach. In this paper we consider the compression of the projected Planck cosmic microwave background data into four parameters, R (scaled distance to last scattering surface), l{sub a} (angular scale of sound horizon at last scattering), {omega}{sub b}h{sup 2} (baryon density fraction) and n{sub s} (powerlaw index of primordial matter power spectrum), all of which can be computed quickly. We show that, although this compression loses information compared to the full likelihood, such information loss becomes negligible when more data is added. We also demonstrate that the method can be used for canonical scalar-field dark energy independently of the parametrization of the equation of state, and discuss how this method should be used for other kindsmore » of dark energy models.« less

title: Wavelet Band Powers of the Primordial Power Spectrum from CMB Data
abstract: Measuring the primordial matter power spectrum is our primary means of probing unknown physics in the very early universe. We allow the primordial power spectrum to be an arbitrary function, and parametrize it in terms of wavelet band powers. Current cosmological data correspond to 11 such wavelet bands. We derive constraints on these band powers as well as H0, Ωbh and Ωmh from current Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy (CMB) data using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique. Our results indicate a feature in the primordial power spectrum at 0.008 <∼ k/(hMpc−1) <∼ 0.1. MAP and Planck data should allow us to put tighter constraints on the primordial power spectrum.

title: Reduced convergence and the local smoothness parameter: bridging two different descriptions of weak lensing amplification
abstract: Weak gravitational lensing due to the inhomogeneous matter distribution in the universe is an important systematic uncertainty in the use of standard candles in cosmology. There are two different descriptions of weak-lensing amplification: one uses a local smoothness parameter , and the other uses reduced convergence η = 1 + κ/|κmin| (where κ is convergence). The description involves Dyer-Roeder distance DA(|z) ( = 1 corresponds to a smooth universe); it is simple and convenient and has been used by the community to illustrate the effect of weak lensing on point sources such as Type Ia supernovae. Wang has previously shown that the description can be made realistic by allowing to be a local variable, the local smoothness parameter. The η description has been used by Wang et al. to derive a universal probability distribution for weak-lensing amplification. In this paper, we bridge the two different descriptions of weak-lensing amplification by relating the reduced convergence η and the local smoothness parameter . We give the variance of in terms of the matter power spectrum, thus providing a quantitative guidance to the use of Dyer-Roeder distances in illustrating the effect of weak lensing. The by-products of this work include a corrected definition of the reduced convergence and simple and accurate analytical expressions for DA(|z). Our results should be very useful in studying the weak lensing of standard candles.