The angular dependence of the three-point correlation function of the cosmic microwave background radiation as predicted by inflationary cosmologies

Abstract

Inflationary models predict a definite, model independent, angular dependence for the three-point correlation function of $\Delta T/T$ at large angles (greater than $\sim 1^\circ$) which we calculate. The overall amplitude is model dependent and generically unobservably small, but may be large in some specific models. We compare our results with other models of nongaussian fluctuations.