Constraining general multi-field inflation using the SPHEREx all-sky survey

Abstract

We investigate how well the SPHEREx all-sky survey can constrain local primordial non-Gaussianity beyond the parameter $f_{\text{NL}}$ using galaxy power spectra. We forecast joint constraints on the parameters $f_{\text{NL}}$, $g_{\text{NL}}$ and $\tau_{\text{NL}}$ obtained assuming a simple two-field curvaton model of inflation. The parameters $f_{\text{NL}}$ and $g_{\text{NL}}$ characterise the squeezed limits of the primordial bispectrum and trispectrum respectively, and lead to a characteristic scale-dependence of the galaxy bias that increases out to arbitrarily large scales. Values of the parameter $\tau_{\text{NL}}> (\frac{6}{5}f_{\text{NL}})^{2}$ cause the galaxy power spectrum to have a stochastic component which also increases out to arbitrarily large scales. Our MCMC forecasts indicate that SPHEREx can provide joint constraints on any two of the three parameters $f_{\text{NL}}, \ g_{\text{NL}}$ and $\tau_{\text{NL}}$. Due to strong degeneracies among these parameters, measurements of the galaxy power spectra alone may not be sufficient to jointly constrain all three. Constraints on $f_{\text{NL}}, \ g_{\text{NL}}$ and $\tau_{\text{NL}}$ obtained from galaxy power spectrum observations depend on the modelling of underlying nuisance parameters. We study the robustness of our forecast constraints to modelling choices and note that even with relatively conservative modelling assumptions, SPHEREx galaxy power spectra can provide strong evidence of local non-Gaussianity, even if the particular values of $f_{\text{NL}}$ and $g_{\text{NL}}$ cannot be measured precisely.