Non-Gaussianity in inflationary scenarios for primordial black holes

Abstract

Abstract Working in an idealised framework in which a series of phases of evolution defined by the second slow-roll parameter η are matched together, we calculate the reduced bispectrum, f NL , for models of inflation with a large peak in their primordial power spectra. We find f NL is typically approximately constant over scales at which the peak is located, and provide an analytic approximation for this value. This allows us to identify the conditions under which f NL is large enough to have a significant impact on the resulting production of primordial black holes (PBHs) and scalar induced gravitational waves (SIGWs). Together with analytic formulae for the gradient of the rise and fall in the power spectrum, this provides a toolkit for designing or quickly analysing inflationary models that produce PBHs and SIGWs.