Non-gaussianity from the inflationary trispectrum

Abstract

We present an estimate for the non-linear parameter τ_NL, which measures the non-gaussianity imprinted in the trispectrum of the comoving curvature perturbation, ζ. Our estimate is valid throughout the inflationary era, until the slow-roll approximation breaks down, and takes into account the evolution of perturbations on superhorizon scales. We find that the non-gaussianity is always small if the field values at the end of inflation are negligible when compared to their values at horizon crossing. Under the same assumption, we show that in Nflation-type scenarios, where the potential is a sum of monomials, the non-gaussianity measured by τ_NL is independent of the couplings and initial conditions.