$Deltamathcal{N}$ and the stochastic conveyor belt of Ultra Slow-Roll


Abstract in English

We analyse field fluctuations during an Ultra Slow-Roll phase in the stochastic picture of inflation and the resulting non-Gaussian curvature perturbation, fully including the gravitational backreaction of the fields velocity. By working to leading order in a gradient expansion, we first demonstrate that consistency with the momentum constraint of General Relativity prevents the field velocity from having a stochastic source, reflecting the existence of a single scalar dynamical degree of freedom on long wavelengths. We then focus on a completely level potential surface, $V=V_0$, extending from a specified exit point $phi_{rm e}$, where slow roll resumes or inflation ends, to $phirightarrow +infty$. We compute the probability distribution in the number of e-folds $mathcal{N}$ required to reach $phi_{rm e}$ which allows for the computation of the curvature perturbation. We find that, if the fields initial velocity is high enough, all points eventually exit through $phi_{rm e}$ and a finite curvature perturbation is generated. On the contrary, if the initial velocity is low, some points enter an eternally inflating regime despite the existence of $phi_{rm e}$. In that case the probability distribution for $mathcal{N}$, although normalizable, does not possess finite moments, leading to a divergent curvature perturbation.

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