UMICH-2015: Inflation

Session Organizers:

• Coordinators: Lloyd Knox
• Moderators:
  • break-out session 1: Jo Dunkley
  • break-out session 2: Raphael Flauger
  • break-out session 3: Sarah Shandera

Action Items: updated list, with names (November 2, 2015)

• Start writing (making a strong case for r): RF and SS will get started right away.
• Study prospects for r and nt for various configurations and values of r (Fisher matrix forecasts including foregrounds that will feed into more detailed simulations) -- RF
• Study possibility to establish departure from scale invariance even for extended parameters space for both S3 and S4 -- RF
• Quantify improvements on other inflationary observables (running, non-Gaussianity, etc. while varying neutrino mass/Neff) -- RF
• Given the improvements on fNL, are there interesting models that CMB S4 could see hints for (e.g. modulated reheating): Joel Meyers
• Quantify dependence of error bars on lmin [RF: will add some plots and words to wiki]
• Think about science drivers that would affect design of experiment (e.g. absolute calibration of polarization angles) -- ?
• Isocurvature forecasts -- no obvious targets, but there should be some quantification. How to parameterize? -- Julien Lesgourgues

Action Items (from end of Michigan meeting)

• Start writing (making a strong case for r)
• Study prospects for r and nt for various configurations and values of r (Fisher matrix forecasts including foregrounds that will feed into more detailed simulations)
• Study possibility to establish departure from scale invariance even for extended parameters space for both S3 and S4
• Quantify improvements on other inflationary observables (running, non-Gaussianity, etc. while varying neutrino mass/Neff)
• Given the improvements on fNL, are there interesting models that CMB S4 could see hints for (e.g. modulated reheating)
• Quantify dependence of error bars on lmin
• Think about science drivers that would affect design of experiment (e.g. absolute calibration of polarization angles)

Some questions we may want to address / items for discussion:

• It would probably be useful to have a review of the assumptions made for the Snowmass forecasting.
• What are key aspects of that forecasting that should be improved?
• What theoretical model spaces should we consider for forecasting? That is, what parameters that are nuisances from an inflation standpoint, should we include?
• The Snowmass document is pretty thin in terms of specific forecasts for constraints on non-Gaussianity. What should we add?
• How will progress on non-Gaussianity constraints compare to what will be happening with galaxy surveys? How are they complementary?
• How will CMB-S4 lensing in particular help with non-Gaussianity studies from LSS surveys?
• Would CMB-S4 help at all with curvature, given DESI BAO? Maybe by helping to distinguish between neutrino mass and/or variation from w = -1?

Break-out sessions:

• Break-out Session 1: B-modes challenges: foregrounds and de-lensing
• Break-out Session 2: Spectral Index, Running, Non-Gaussianity, ...
• Break-out Session 3: Theory, measurements,...
• Inflation Summary

Response to Action Items

Response to Inflation Action Items

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