Princeton University Gravity Group Astrophysics/Cosmology Lunch - Speaker 1

The Friday noon talks are catered by Hoagie Haven. See the website for details. ABSTRACT: I will describe work in progress (w/ Juan Maldacena) on trying to classify all possible 3-point functions of gravitons during inflation. Assuming that we have exact deSitter symmetry during inflation, we can write down all possible terms in an effective field theory that would give rise to different shapes of the 3-point function. These are nicely written in terms of spinor helicity variables, which I plan to briefly review in the talk. If time permits I will make a comment on deviations from these shapes when one includes the inflaton breaking the deSitter symmetry of spacetime during inflation.