On Cross-correlations between Curvature and Isocurvature Perturbations during Inflation

Abstract

We investigate the effects of couplings between curvature and isocurvature perturbations before and around horizon-crossings during cosmological inflation. We consider a generalized two-field inflation model, in which the non-canonical kinetic term allows us arbitrary sound speeds of curvature and isocurvature perturbations. By using the field-theoretical perturbative analysis, we calculate the cross-spectrum between curvature and isocurvature perturbations and the corrections to curvature and isocurvature power spectra due to the presence of couplings between them. Our analysis confirms previous results that the cross-correlations are generated and amplified when perturbations cross the horizons. Moreover, we find the cross-correlation, which was previously shown to be first-order in slow-roll parameter, can be enhanced when the sound speed of isocurvature perturbation is much smaller than that of the curvature perturbation. This is because in this case the isocurvature perturbation exits its horizon much earlier than the curvature perturbation and acts as a nearly constant source on the curvature perturbation.