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Statistical Anisotropy and the Vector Curvaton Paradigm

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
Article number1250023
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>5/03/2012
<mark>Journal</mark>International Journal of Modern Physics D
Issue number3
Volume21
Number of pages26
Pages (from-to)1-26
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

The vector curvaton paradigm is reviewed. The mechanism allows a massive vector boson field to contribute to or even generate the curvature perturbation in the Universe. Contribution of vector bosons is likely to generate statistical anisotropy in the spectrum and bispectrum of the curvature perturbation, which will soon be probed observationally. Two specific models for the generation of superhorizon spectra for the components of an Abelian vector field are analyzed. Emphasis is put on the observational signatures of the models when the vector fields play the role of vector curvatons. If future observations support the vector curvaton mechanism this will open a window into the gauge field content of theories beyond the standard model.