Evolution of coupled scalar perturbations through smooth reheating. Part II. Thermal fluctuation regime

Abstract Curvature perturbations with short wavelengths exit the Hubble horizon when the universe may contain a thermal plasma in addition to an inflaton field that drives its expansion. We solve the corresponding fluctuation-dissipation dynamics at linear order, building upon a previously established set of gauge-invariant evolution equations. The properties of the noise autocorrelator are constrained via a matching of equilibrium correlators to quantum-statistical physics deep inside the Hubble horizon. The curvature power spectrum is determined numerically, without slow-roll approximations or assumptions about the equilibration of the inflaton field. As applications, we scrutinize two issues from recent literature: the model dependence of the thermally modified power spectrum as a function of freeze-out parameters, and the viability of embedding warm inflation within the Standard Model (we offer support for the latter proposal). The role of pre-horizon-exit acoustic oscillations is illustrated.