We study the effect of curvaton decay on the primordial power spectrum. Using analytical approximations and also numerical calculations, we find that the power spectrum is enhanced during the radiation dominated era after the curvaton decay. The amplitude of the Bardeen potential is controlled by the fraction of the energy density in the curvaton at the time of curvaton decay. We show that the enhancement in the amplitude of the primordial curvature perturbation is, however, not large enough to lead to primordial black hole overproduction on scales which reenter the horizon after the time of curvaton decay.

• Received 21 September 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.87.103502