Friction in stochastic inflation

Abstract We solve time-reversed stochastic inflation in the semi-infinite flat potential with a constant drift term and derive an exact expression for the probability distribution of the curvature fluctuations. It exhibits exponential decaying tails which contrast to the Levy-like power law behaviour encountered without friction. Such a non-vanishing drift acts as a regulator for the conventional “forward” stochastic δN -formalism, which is otherwise ill-defined in the unbounded and flat potentials typical of plateau models of inflation. This setup therefore allows us to compare the curvature distribution derived from both approaches, reverse and forward in time. Up to similar exponential tails, we find quantitative differences. In particular, in the classical-like limit of very large drift, the tails become Gaussian but only in the time-reversed picture. As a toy model of eternal inflation, we finally discuss the case of negative drift in which inflation never ends for many field trajectories. The forward approach becomes pathological whereas the reverse formalism gives back a finite curvature distribution with always exponential tails. All these differences end up being related to the very definition of the background which is ambiguous when a classical trajectory does not exist.