de Sitter S-matrix for the masses

We define an S matrix for massive scalar fields on a fixed de Sitter spacetime, in the expanding patch coordinates relevant for early Universe cosmology. It enjoys many of the same properties as its Minkowski counterpart, for instance: it is insensitive to total derivatives and field redefinitions in the action; it can be extracted as a particular “on shell” limit of time-ordered correlation functions; and for low-point scattering, kinematics strongly constrains its possible structures. We present explicit formulas relating inflationary observables—namely in-in equal-time correlators and wavefunction coefficients at the conformal boundary —to these S matrix elements. This new formalism will allow modern amplitude methods to be applied directly in cosmology and hence provide a wider range of more accurate theoretical predictions for upcoming sky surveys.