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Quantum diffusion during inflation and primordial black holes

Canonical reference. 71% of citing Pith papers cite this work as background.

12 Pith papers citing it
Background 71% of classified citations
abstract

We calculate the full probability density function (PDF) of inflationary curvature perturbations, even in the presence of large quantum backreaction. Making use of the stochastic-$\delta N$ formalism, two complementary methods are developed, one based on solving an ordinary differential equation for the characteristic function of the PDF, and the other based on solving a heat equation for the PDF directly. In the classical limit where quantum diffusion is small, we develop an expansion scheme that not only recovers the standard Gaussian PDF at leading order, but also allows us to calculate the first non-Gaussian corrections to the usual result. In the opposite limit where quantum diffusion is large, we find that the PDF is given by an elliptic theta function, which is fully characterised by the ratio between the squared width and height (in Planck mass units) of the region where stochastic effects dominate. We then apply these results to the calculation of the mass fraction of primordial black holes from inflation, and show that no more than $\sim 1$ $e$-fold can be spent in regions of the potential dominated by quantum diffusion. We explain how this requirement constrains inflationary potentials with two examples.

citation-role summary

background 6 method 1

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years

2026 10 2020 2

representative citing papers

Time-reversed stochastic inflation in the quantum well

astro-ph.CO · 2026-05-29 · unverdicted · novelty 7.0

Exact solution of time-reversed stochastic inflation in the quantum well yields curvature perturbation distributions with faster-decaying exponential tails than forward stochastic inflation.

When the Environment Speaks: Quantum Signatures in Non-Attractor Inflation

astro-ph.CO · 2026-07-08 · conditional · novelty 6.0

An open quantum system treatment of curvature perturbations during Ultra-Slow-Roll inflation shows that environmental decoherence erases the interference dip, modifies the growth slope, and induces oscillatory features in the scalar power spectrum and scalar-induced gravitational waves.

Stochastic constant-roll inflation beyond the hilltop with the spectral method

astro-ph.CO · 2026-06-08 · unverdicted · novelty 6.0

Spectral solution of the Fokker-Planck operator for hilltop constant-roll inflation shows rare crossing trajectories dominate the mean, so the median yields a coarse-grained ΔN distribution whose exponential tail flattens into a peak near maximal value.

Constraints on Primordial Black Holes

astro-ph.CO · 2020-02-27 · accept · novelty 4.0

Updated compilation shows PBHs are tightly constrained across 55 orders of magnitude in mass, ruling out dominant dark matter contributions except in narrow windows, with many limits carrying observational uncertainties.

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Showing 12 of 12 citing papers.