arXiv subjects

H. V. Ragavendra

Publications and source records attributed to H. V. Ragavendra.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Twisted echoes of an odd quartet: Scalar-induced gravitational waves as a probe of primordial parity-violation

Parity-violation leaves tell-tale trails in many cosmological observables. We illustrate parity-odd primordial scalar trispectra, that despite being of modest strength, impart detectable chirality to scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGW). This allows us to impose strong bounds on the parity-odd part of trispectrum. Over certain scales, we find SIGW directly quantify parity-violation in primordial non-Gaussianity, unobscured by the Gaussian contribution. Our results call for treatment of SIGW and parity-odd trispectrum as complementary predictions of parity-violating theories.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2026

Constraining primordial non-Gaussianity and parity-violation through Scalar-Induced Gravitational Waves with next-generation ground-based interferometers

In this work, we investigate the prospects for probing primordial non-Gaussianity and associated symmetry of parity through scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGWs), with third-generation gravitational-wave detectors. We develop a framework that accounts for contributions to the energy density spectrum of GWs arising from the scalar non-Gaussianity quantified by bispectrum and trispectrum, and perform parameter inference using simulated data from Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer. The parity-odd component of the scalar trispectrum induces circular polarization in the stochastic gravitational-wave background (SGWB), providing a direct probe of parity-violation in the primordial Universe. We show that future interferometers can place competitive constraints on the parity-odd scalar trispectrum, along with the bispectrum and parity-even trispectrum. Moreover, we include the astrophysical contribution, which could act as a foreground for the SIGWs. We show that, despite the addition of such a foreground, we are still able to effectively constrain the cosmological parameters related to SIGWs and the astrophysical parameters as well.

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arXiv2026

Exploring Gravitational Wave Signatures Due to Primordial Non-gaussianity and Large Scale Structure Using SKAO

This chapter explores theoretical and observational strategies to use the stochastic gravitational-wave background detectable by Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) as a probe of precision cosmology. We detail the critical phenomenon of scalar-induced gravitational waves, demonstrating their unique features and their sensitivity to primordial non-Gaussianity on scales much smaller than those probed by the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure. We investigate the phenomenology of parity violation in the early Universe through the chirality imprinted in the stochastic gravitational-wave background, demonstrating that a parity-odd primordial trispectrum can generate a detectable scale-dependent helicity. On the observational side, we point out that the standard gravitational-wave angular auto-correlation analysis is significantly limited by astrophysical shot noise. We show that cross-correlating the gravitational wave signal with independent large-scale structure tracers enhances the signal-to-noise ratio and allows us to isolate the astrophysical and cosmological components in the background. These results can be achieved only thanks to the enhanced sensitivity of SKAO, extensive sky coverage, and high angular resolution, which together make such targets observationally feasible.

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arXiv2026

Chiral gravitational waves from multi-phase magnetogenesis

Cosmological vector fields are central to many early-Universe phenomena, including inflationary dynamics, primordial magnetogenesis, and dark-matter scenarios. However, constructing models able to generate cosmological magnetic fields while avoiding strong coupling, backreaction, and cosmic microwave background constraints remains challenging. We study a novel mechanism in which brief non--slow-roll phases during inflation amplify primordial magnetic fields at small scales, while maintaining theoretical consistency and observational viability. We incorporate parity-violating interactions in the vector sector and demonstrate, for the first time in a non--slow-roll framework, that chirality can significantly boost magnetic-field amplitudes and imprint distinctive polarization-dependent spectral features. We complement detailed numerical computations with an analytical treatment yielding compact expressions for chiral vector mode functions that reproduce the main spectral properties. We then develop a systematic formalism to evaluate the stochastic gravitational-wave background naturally induced at second order by these amplified fields, identifying both an intensity component and a circularly polarized contribution with characteristic frequency profiles. We discuss detection prospects with future multiband gravitational-wave observatories, showing that chiral signatures could provide a distinctive observational probe. Our results introduce new avenues for enhancing primordial magnetic fields and their associated gravitational-wave signals, opening promising possibilities for their future detection and interpretation, both with cosmological and gravitational wave probes.

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arXiv2026

Scalar-induced gravitational waves from coherent initial states

We investigate the impact of statistical inhomogeneity and anisotropy in primordial scalar perturbations on the scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGW). Assuming inflationary quantum fluctuations originate from a coherent state, the resulting primordial scalar perturbations acquire a non-zero space-dependent mean, violating statistical homogeneity, statistical isotropy, and parity. As a consequence of statistical inhomogeneities, SIGW acquires distinct scale-dependent features in its correlation function. Statistical anisotropies further lead to possible parity violation and correlation between different polarization modes in the tensor perturbations. Therefore, detection of these signatures in the stochastic gravitational wave background would offer probes to the statistical nature of primordial scalar perturbations beyond the scales accessible to CMB observations.

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arXiv2025

Cross-correlation between the curvature perturbations and magnetic fields in pure ultra slow roll inflation

Motivated by the aim of producing significant number of primordial black holes, over the past few years, there has been a considerable interest in examining models of inflation involving a single, canonical field, that permit a brief period of ultra slow roll. Earlier, we had examined inflationary magnetogenesis - achieved by breaking the conformal invariance of the electromagnetic action through a coupling to the inflaton - in situations involving departures from slow roll. We had found that a transition from slow roll to ultra slow roll inflation can lead to a strong blue tilt in the spectrum of the magnetic field over small scales and also considerably suppress its strength over large scales. In this work, we consider the scenario of pure ultra slow roll inflation and show that scale invariant magnetic fields can be obtained in such situations with the aid of a non-conformal coupling function that depends on the kinetic energy of the inflaton. Apart from the power spectrum, an important probe of the primordial magnetic fields are the three-point functions, specifically, the cross-correlation between the curvature perturbations and the magnetic fields. We calculate the three-point cross-correlation between the curvature perturbations and the magnetic fields in pure ultra slow roll inflation for the new choice of the non-conformal coupling function. In particular, we examine the validity of the consistency condition that is expected to govern the three-point function in the squeezed limit and comment on the wider implications of the results we obtain.

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arXiv2025

Cosmological consequences of statistical inhomogeneity

A space-dependent mean for cosmological perturbations negates the ansatz of statistical homogeneity and isotropy, and hence ergodicity. In this work, we construct such a primordial mean of scalar perturbations from an alternative quantum initial state (coherent state) and examine the associated power and bi-spectra. A multitude of cosmological tests based on these spectra are discussed. We find that current cosmological data doesn't favor a primordial mean over large scales and strong constraints arise from the limit on bispectrum from Planck data. At small scales, this hypothesis can be tested by future observables such as $μ$-distortion of CMB.

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arXiv2024

Constraining ultra slow roll inflation using cosmological datasets

In recent years, the detection of gravitational waves by LIGO and PTA collaborations have raised the intriguing possibility of excess matter power at small scales. Such an increase can be achieved by ultra slow roll (USR) phase during inflationary epoch. We constrain excess power over small scales within the framework of such models using cosmological datasets, particularly of CMB anisotropies and Lyman-$α$. We parameterize the USR phase in terms of the e-fold at the onset of USR (counted from the end of inflation) $\bar N_1$ and the duration of USR phase $ΔN$. The former dictates the scale of enhancement in the primordial power spectrum, while the latter determines the amplitude of such an enhancement. From a joint dataset of CMB, SNIa and galaxy surveys, we obtain $\bar N_1 \lesssim 45$ with no bound on $ΔN$. This in turn implies that the scales over which the power spectrum can deviate significantly from the nearly scale invariant behavior of a typical slow-roll model is $k \gtrsim 1 \, \rm Mpc^{-1}$. On the other hand, the Lyman-$α$ data is sensitive to baryonic power spectrum along the line of sight. We consider a semi-analytic theoretical method and high spectral-resolution Lyman-$α$ data to constrain the model. The Lyman-$α$ data limits both the USR parameters: $\bar N_1 \lesssim 41$ and $ΔN \lesssim 0.4$. This constrains the amplitude of the power spectrum enhancement to be less than a factor of hundred over scales $1 \lesssim k/{\rm Mpc^{-1}} \lesssim 100$, thereby considerably improving the constraint on power over these scales as compared to the bounds arrived at from CMB spectral distortion.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2024

Loop contributions to the scalar power spectrum due to quartic order action in ultra slow roll inflation

[Abridged] In contemporary literature, the calculation of modifications to the inflationary scalar power spectrum due to the loops from the higher order interaction terms in the Hamiltonian have led to a discussion regarding the validity of perturbation theory. Recently, there have been efforts to examine the contributions to the scalar power spectrum due to the loops arising from the cubic order terms in the action describing the perturbations, specifically in inflationary scenarios that permit an epoch of ultra slow roll (USR). A phase of USR inflation leads to significant observational consequences, such as the copious production of primordial black holes. In this work, we study the loop contributions to the scalar power spectrum in a scenario of USR inflation arising due to the quartic order terms in the action describing the scalar perturbations. We compute the loop contributions to the scalar power spectrum due to the dominant term in the action at the quartic order. We consider a scenario wherein a phase of USR is sandwiched between two stages of slow roll inflation and analyze the behavior of the loop contributions in terms of the parameters involved. We examine the late, intermediate and early epochs of USR during inflation. In the inflationary scenario involving a late phase of USR, for reasonable choices of the parameters, we show that the loop corrections are negligible for the entire range of wave numbers. In the intermediate case, the contributions from the loops prove to be scale invariant over large scales, and we find that these contributions can amount to 30% of the leading order power spectrum. In the case wherein USR sets in early, we find that the loop contributions could be negative and can dominate the power spectrum at the leading order, which indicates a breakdown of the perturbative expansion. We conclude with a brief summary and outlook.

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arXiv2023

Non-thermal moduli production during preheating in $α$-attractor inflation models

Production of gravitationally coupled light moduli fields must be suppressed in the early universe, so that its decay products do not alter Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) predictions for light elements. On the other hand, the moduli quanta can be copiously produced non-thermally during preheating after the end of inflation. In this work, we study the production of moduli in the $α$-attractor inflationary model through parametric resonances. For our case, where the inflationary potential at its minimum is quartic, the inflaton field self-resonates, and subsequently induces large production of moduli particles. We find that this production is suppressed for small values of $α$. Combining semi-analytical estimation and numerical lattice simulations, we infer the parametric dependence on $α$ and learn that $α$ needs to be $\lesssim 10^{-8}\,m_{\rm Pl}^2$ to be consistent with BBN. This in turn predicts an upper bound on the energy scale of inflation and on the reheating temperature.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Indirect imprints of primordial non-Gaussianity on cosmic microwave background

Primordial non-Gaussianity arising from inflationary models is a unique probe of non-trivial dynamics of the inflaton field and its interactions with other fields. Often when examining and constraining the scalar non-Gaussianity arising from inflation, certain templates are adopted for the scalar non-Gaussianity parameter $f_{_{\rm NL}}$, in classifying their behaviors in terms of wavenumbers. The current constraints from cosmic microwave background (CMB) on such templates of $f_{_{\rm NL}}$ are weak and provide rather large bounds on their amplitudes. In this work, we explore a different method of constraining $f_{_{\rm NL}}$ through their effect on the scalar power. We compute the correction to the scalar power due to $f_{_{\rm NL}}$ while accounting for its generic scale dependence. We then compute the angular power spectrum of CMB arising from such non-Gaussian corrections to explore possible imprints. We initially illustrate this method using the conventional templates of $f_{_{\rm NL}}$ such as local, equilateral and orthogonal types, with and without the running of the parameter. We further employ this method to an oscillatory form of $f_{_{\rm NL}}$ and lastly on a realistic model of inflation proposed by Starobinsky. Though this method does not improve much on the constraints on the first three templates of $f_{_{\rm NL}}$, it provides interesting insights on models that do not conform to these templates. We infer that the non-Gaussian correction to the spectrum can be sensitive to model parameters that are degenerate at the level of the original power spectrum. Hence, this method of computing indirect imprints of $f_{_{\rm NL}}$ on angular power spectrum of CMB provides a new avenue to explore primordial scalar non-Gaussianity and possibly constrain them effectively.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Observational imprints of enhanced scalar power on small scales in ultra slow roll inflation and associated non-Gaussianities

The discovery of gravitational waves from merging binary black holes has generated considerable interest in examining whether these black holes could have a primordial origin. If a significant number of black holes have to be produced in the early universe, the primordial scalar power spectrum should have an enhanced amplitude on small scales, when compared to the COBE normalized values on the larger scales that is strongly constrained by the anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background. In the inflationary scenario driven by a single, canonical scalar field, such power spectra can be achieved in models that permit a brief period of ultra slow roll inflation during which the first slow roll parameter decreases exponentially. In this review, we shall consider a handful of such inflationary models as well as a reconstructed scenario and examine the extent of formation of primordial black holes and the generation of secondary gravitational waves in these cases. We shall also discuss the strength and shape of the scalar bispectrum and the associated non-Gaussianity parameter that arise in such situations. We shall conclude with an outlook wherein we discuss the wider implications of the increased strengths of the non-Gaussianities on smaller scales.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Circumventing the challenges in the choice of the non-conformal coupling function in inflationary magnetogenesis

[Abridged] As is well known, in order to generate magnetic fields of observed amplitudes during inflation, the conformal invariance of the electromagnetic field has to be broken by coupling it either to the inflaton or to the scalar curvature. Couplings to scalar curvature pose certain challenges even in slow roll inflation and it seems desirable to consider couplings to the inflaton. It can be shown that, in slow roll inflation, to generate nearly scale invariant magnetic fields of adequate strengths, the non-conformal coupling to the inflaton has to be chosen specifically depending on the inflationary model at hand. In a recent work, we had found that, when there arise sharp departures from slow roll inflation leading to strong features in the scalar power spectra, there inevitably arise sharp features in the spectra of the electromagnetic fields, unless the non-conformal coupling functions are extremely fine tuned. In particular, we had found that, if there occurs an epoch of ultra slow roll inflation, then the strength of the magnetic field over large scales can be severely suppressed. In this work, we examine whether these challenges can be circumvented in models of inflation involving two fields. We show that the presence of the additional scalar field allows us to construct coupling functions that lead to magnetic fields of required strengths even when there arise intermediate epochs of ultra slow roll inflation. However, we find that the features in the spectra of the magnetic fields that are induced due to the departures from slow roll inflation cannot be completely ironed out. We make use of the code MagCAMB to calculate the effects of the magnetic fields on the anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background and investigate if the spectra with features are broadly consistent with the current constraints.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

Observing nulling of primordial correlations via the 21 cm signal

The 21cm line emitted by neutral hydrogen (HI) during the Dark Ages carries imprints of pristine primordial correlations. In models of inflation driven by a single, canonical scalar field, we show that a phase of ultra-slow-roll can lead to a null in all the primordial correlations at a specific wavenumber $k_\textrm{dip}$. We consider scenarios wherein the null in the correlations occurs over wavenumbers $1 \lesssim k_\textrm{dip} \lesssim 10\,\mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$, and examine the prospects of detecting such a damping in the HI signal due to the nulls at the level of power and bi-spectra in future observational missions.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Suppression of scalar power on large scales and associated bispectra

[Abridged] A sharp cut-off in the primordial scalar power spectrum on large scales has been known to improve the fit to the cosmic microwave background (CMB) data when compared to the more standard, nearly scale invariant power spectrum that arises in slow roll inflation. In an earlier work, we had numerically investigated the characteristics of the scalar bispectrum generated in models with kinetically dominated initial conditions. In this work, we compare the scenario with two other competing scenarios (viz. punctuated inflation and a model due to Starobinsky) which also suppress the scalar power in a roughly similar fashion on large scales. We further consider two other scenarios involving inflation of a finite duration, one wherein the scalar field begins on the inflationary attractor and another wherein the field starts with a smaller velocity and evolves towards the attractor. These scenarios too exhibit a sharp drop in power on large scales if the initial conditions on the perturbations for a range of modes are imposed on super-Hubble scales as in the kinetically dominated model. We compare the performance of all the models against the Planck CMB data at the level of power spectra. We also compare the amplitudes and shapes of the scalar non-Gaussianity parameter $f_{_{\rm NL}}$ in all these cases which lead to scalar power spectra of similar form. Interestingly, we find that, in the models wherein the initial conditions on the perturbations are imposed on super-Hubble scales, the consistency relation governing the scalar bispectrum is violated for the large scale modes, whereas the relation is satisfied for all the modes in the other scenarios. These differences in the behavior of the scalar bispectra can conceivably help us observationally discriminate between the various models which lead to scalar power spectra of roughly similar shape.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Accounting for scalar non-Gaussianity in secondary gravitational waves

It is well known that enhancement in the primordial scalar perturbations over small scales generates detectable amplitudes of secondary gravitational waves (GWs), by sourcing the tensor perturbations at the second order. These stochastic gravitational waves are expected to carry the imprints of primordial non-Gaussianities. The scalar bispectrum that is typically produced in models of inflation leading to significant secondary GWs is non-trivial and highly scale dependent. In this work, we present a method to account for such general scale dependent scalar bispectrum arising from inflationary models in the calculation of the spectral density of secondary GWs. Using this method, we compute the contributions arising from the scalar bispectrum to the amplitude of secondary GWs in two specific models of inflation driven by the canonical scalar field. We find that these non-Gaussian contributions can be highly model dependent and have to be consistently taken into account while estimating the total amplitude of the secondary GWs. Beyond the models considered, we emphasize that the method discussed is robust, free from assumptions about the shape of the bispectrum and generalizes earlier approaches adopted in the literature. We argue that this method of accounting for the scalar bispectrum shall be helpful in future computations for exotic models generating larger amplitudes of scalar non-Gaussianities along with significant amount of secondary GWs.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Could PBHs and secondary GWs have originated from squeezed initial states?

[Abridged] Recently, the production of primordial black holes (PBHs) and secondary gravitational waves (GWs) due to enhanced scalar power on small scales have garnered considerable attention in the literature. Often, the mechanism considered to arrive at such enhanced power involves a modification of the standard slow roll inflationary dynamics, achieved with the aid of fine-tuned potentials. In this work, we investigate another well known method to generate features in the power spectrum wherein the initial state of the perturbations is assumed to be squeezed states. This approach is technically straightforward to implement since the Bogoliubov coefficients characterizing the squeezed initial states, can be immediately determined from the desired form of the power spectrum. It is known that, for squeezed initial states, the scalar bispectrum is strongly scale dependent and the consistency condition governing the scalar bispectrum in the squeezed limit is violated. In fact, the non-Gaussianity parameter $f_{_{\rm NL}}$ characterizing the scalar bispectrum proves to be inversely proportional to the squeezed mode and this dependence enhances its amplitude at large wave numbers making it highly sensitive to even a small deviation from the standard Bunch-Davies vacuum. These aspects can possibly aid in leading to enhanced formation of PBHs and generation of secondary GWs. However, we find that: (i) the desired form of the squeezed initial states may be challenging to achieve from a dynamical mechanism, and (ii) the backreaction due to the excited states severely limits the extent of deviation from the Bunch-Davies vacuum at large wave numbers. We argue that, unless the issue of backreaction is circumvented, squeezed initial states cannot lead to a substantial increase in power on small scales that is required for enhanced formation of PBHs and generation of secondary GWs.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

PBHs and secondary GWs from ultra slow roll and punctuated inflation

[Abridged] The primordial scalar power spectrum is well constrained on large scales, primarily by the observations of the anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Over the last few years, it has been recognized that a sharp rise in power on small scales will lead to enhanced formation of primordial black holes (PBHs) and also generate secondary gravitational waves (GWs) of higher and, possibly, detectable amplitudes. It is well understood that scalar power spectra with COBE normalized amplitude on the CMB scales and enhanced amplitudes on smaller scales can be generated due to deviations from slow roll in single, canonical scalar field models of inflation. In fact, an epoch of so-called ultra slow roll inflation can lead to the desired amplification. We find that scenarios that lead to ultra slow roll can be broadly classified into two types, one wherein there is a brief departure from inflation (a scenario referred to as punctuated inflation) and another wherein such a departure does not arise. We consider a set of single field inflationary models involving the canonical scalar field that lead to ultra slow roll and punctuated inflation and examine the formation of PBHs as well as the generation of secondary GWs in these models. Apart from considering specific models, we reconstruct potentials from certain functional choices of the first slow roll parameter leading to ultra slow roll and punctuated inflation and investigate their observational signatures. In addition to the secondary tensor power spectrum, we calculate the secondary tensor bispectrum in the equilateral limit in these scenarios. Moreover, we calculate the inflationary scalar bispectrum that arises in all the cases and discuss the imprints of the scalar non-Gaussianities on the extent of PBHs formed and the amplitude of the secondary GWs.

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