Tensors, non-Gaussianities, and the future of potential reconstruction

Abstract

We present projections for reconstruction of the inflationary potential expected from ESA's upcoming Planck Surveyor CMB mission. We focus on the effects that tensor perturbations and the presence of non-Gaussianities have on reconstruction efforts in the context of non-canonical inflation models. We consider potential constraints for different combinations of detection/null-detection of tensors and non-Gaussianities. We perform Markov Chain Monte Carlo and flow analyses on a simulated Planck-precision data set to obtain constraints. We find that a failure to detect non-Gaussianities precludes a successful inversion of the primordial power spectrum, greatly affecting uncertainties, even in the presence of a tensor detection. In the absence of a detection of tensors, we will be unable to determine the energy scale of inflation. However, a detection of non-Gaussianity will allow us to place tight constraints on suitably chosen combinations of the potential and its derivatives. Constraints are optimized for a positive detection of both tensors and non-Gaussianities.