Measuring statistical isotropy of CMB anisotropy

The statistical expectation values of the temperature fluctuations and polarization of cosmic microwave background (CMB) are assumed to be preserved under rotations of the sky. We investigate the statistical isotropy (SI) of the CMB maps recently measured by the Wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe (WMAP) using the bipolar spherical harmonic formalism proposed in Hajian and Souradeep [Hajian, A., Souradeep, T. (2003) Astrophys. J. Lett. 597, L5] for CMB temperature anisotropy and extended to CMB polarization in Basak, Hajian and Souradeep [Basak, S., Hajian, A., Souradeep, T. (2006) Phys. Rev. D74, 02130(R)]. The Bipolar Power Spectrum (BiPS) had been measured for the full sky CMB anisotropy maps of the first year WMAP data and now for the recently released three years of WMAP data. We also introduce and measure directional sensitive reduced Bipolar coefficients on the three year WMAP ILC map. Consistent with our published results from first year WMAP data we have no evidence for violation of statistical isotropy on large angular scales. Preliminary analysis of the recently released first WMAP polarization maps, however, indicate significant violation of SI even when the foreground contaminated regions are masked out. Further work is required to confirm a possible cosmic origin and rule out the (more likely) origin in observational artifact such as foreground residuals at high galactic latitude.     

Non-circular beam correction to the CMB power spectrum

In the era of high precision CMB measurements, systematic effects are beginning to limit the ability to extract subtler cosmological information. The non-circularity of the experimental beam has become progressively important as CMB experiments strive to attain higher angular resolution and sensitivity. The effect of non-circular beam on the power spectrum is important at multipoles larger than the beam-width. For recent experiments with high angular resolution, optimal methods of power spectrum estimation are computationally prohibitive and sub-optimal approaches, such as the Pseudo-C_l method are used. We provide an analytic framework for correcting the power spectrum for the effect of beam non-circularity and non-uniform sky coverage (including incomplete/masked sky maps). The approach is perturbative in the distortion of the beam from non-circularity allowing for rapid computations when the beam is mildly non-circular. We advocate that when the non-circular beams are important, it is computationally advantageous to employ ‘soft’ azimuthally apodized masks whose spherical harmonic transforms die down fast with m.     

Pure pseudo-Cℓ estimators for CMB B-modes

Fast heuristically weighted, or pseudo-C_ℓ, estimators are a frequently used method for estimating power spectra in CMB surveys with large numbers of pixels. Recently, Challinor and Chon showed that the E–B mixing in these estimators can become a dominant contaminant at low noise levels, ultimately limiting the gravity wave signal which can be detected on a finite patch of sky. We define a modified version of the estimators which eliminates E–B mixing and is near-optimal at all noise levels.     

The non-Gaussian cold spot in WMAP

We review the properties of the non-Gaussian cold spot found in the WMAP data. The spot, which was first found in the WMAP 1-year data at position (b = −57°, l = 209°) and subtending ≈10° in the sky, has been now confirmed with the WMAP 3-year data. It is clearly detected with several different statistical methods acting on wavelet coefficients. The probability of finding such a spot in Gaussian simulations is around 1%. The frequency dependence of the spot is flat at a very high precision, rejecting the possibility of being due to the Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect or Galactic foregrounds. Finally, we discuss different possibilities which can help to explain its origin.     

Steerable wavelet analysis of CMB structures alignment

This paper reviews the application of a novel methodology for analysing the isotropy of the universe by probing the alignment of local structures in the CMB. The strength of the proposed methodology relies on the steerable wavelet filtering of the CMB signal. One the one hand, the filter steerability renders the computation of the local orientation of the CMB features affordable in terms of computation time. On the other hand, the scale-space nature of the wavelet filtering allows to explore the alignment of the local structures at different scales, probing possible different phenomena. We present the WMAP first-year data analysis recently performed by the same authors (Wiaux et al.), where an extremely significant anisotropy was found. In particular, a preferred plane was detected, having a normal direction with a northern end position at (θ, ) = (34°, 331°), close to the northern end of the CMB dipole axis. In addition, a most preferred direction was found in that plane, with a northern end direction at (θ, ) = (71°, 91°), very close to the north ecliptic pole. This result synthesised for the first time previously reported anomalies identified in the direction of the dipole and the ecliptic poles axes. In a forthcoming paper (Vielva et al.), we have extended our analysis to the study of individual frequency maps finding first indications for discarding foregrounds as the origin of the anomaly. We have also tested that the preferred orientations are defined by structures homogeneously distributed in the sky, rather than from localised regions. We have also analysed the WMAP 3-year data, finding the same anomaly pattern, although at a slightly lower significance level.     

Bayesian foreground analysis with CMB data

The quality of CMB observations has improved dramatically in the last few years, and will continue to do so in the coming decade. Over a wide range of angular scales, the uncertainty due to instrumental noise is now small compared to the cosmic variance. One may claim with some justification that we have entered the era of precision CMB cosmology. However, some caution is still warranted: The errors due to residual foreground contamination in the CMB power spectrum and cosmological parameters remain largely unquantified, and the effect of these errors on important cosmological parameters such as the optical depth τ and spectral index n_s is not obvious. A major goal for current CMB analysis efforts must therefore be to develop methods that allow us to propagate such uncertainties from the raw data through to the final products. Here we review a recently proposed method that may be a first step towards that goal.     

New constraints on neutrino masses from cosmology

By combining data from cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments (including the recent WMAP third year results), large scale structure (LSS) and Lyman-α forest observations, we derive upper limits on the sum of neutrino masses of Σm_ν < 0.17 eV at 95% c.l. We then constrain the hypothesis of a fourth, sterile, massive neutrino. For the third massless +1 massive neutrino case we bound the mass of the sterile neutrino to m_s < 0.26 eV at 95% c.l. These results exclude at high significance the sterile neutrino hypothesis as an explanation of the LSND anomaly. We then generalize the analysis to account for active neutrino masses which tightens the limit to m_s < 0.23 eV and the possibility that the sterile abundance is not thermal. In the latter case, the constraints in the (mass, density) plane are non-trivial. For a mass of >1 eV or <0.05 eV the cosmological energy density in sterile neutrinos is always constrained to be ω_ν < 0.003 at 95% c.l. However, for a sterile neutrino mass of 0.25 eV, ω_ν can be as large as 0.01.     

Mysteries on universe’s largest observable scales

We review recent findings that the universe on its largest scales shows hints of violations of statistical isotropy, in particular alignment with the geometry and direction of motion of the solar system, and missing power at scales greater than 60°. We present the evidence, attempts to explain it using astrophysical, cosmological or instrumental mechanisms, and prospects for future understanding.     

Intracluster medium through three years of WMAP

Wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe (WMAP) has provided us with the highest resolution all-sky maps of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). As a result of thermal Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect, clusters of galaxies are imprinted as tiny, poorly resolved dips on top of primary CMB anisotropies in these maps. Here, I describe different efforts to extract the physics of intracluster medium (ICM) from the sea of primary CMB, through combining WMAP with low-redshift galaxy or X-ray cluster surveys. This finally culminates at a mean (universal) ICM pressure profile, which is for the first time directly constrained from WMAP 3 year maps, and leads to interesting constraints on the ICM baryonic budget.     

PAPPA: Primordial anisotropy polarization pathfinder array

The primordial anisotropy polarization pathfinder array (PAPPA) is a balloon-based instrument to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background and search for the signal from gravity waves excited during an inflationary epoch in the early universe. PAPPA will survey a 20° × 20° patch at the North Celestial Pole using 32 pixels in 3 passbands centered at 89, 212, and 302 GHz. Each pixel uses MEMS switches in a superconducting microstrip transmission line to combine the phase modulation techniques used in radio astronomy with the sensitivity of transition-edge superconducting bolometers. Each switched circuit modulates the incident polarization on a single detector, allowing nearly instantaneous characterization of the Stokes I, Q, and U parameters. We describe the instrument design and status.     

Measuring velocities using the CMB and LSS

Here is discussed various ways by which the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation can be use to measure the velocities of matter in the universe. We include some new statistical techniques for using the kinetic Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (kSZ) effect and integrated Sachs–Wolfe (ISW) effect to determine velocities by correlating wide area CMB maps with overlapping large-scale structure (LSS) surveys.     

ARCADE: Absolute radiometer for cosmology, astrophysics, and diffuse emission

The absolute radiometer for cosmology, astrophysics, and diffuse emission (ARCADE) is a balloon-borne instrument designed to measure the temperature of the cosmic microwave background at centimeter wavelengths. ARCADE searches for deviations from a blackbody spectrum resulting from energy releases in the early universe. Long-wavelength distortions in the CMB spectrum are expected in all viable cosmological models. Detecting these distortions or showing that they do not exist is an important step for understanding the early universe. We describe the ARCADE instrument design, current status, and future plans.     

B-Pol: detecting primordial gravitational waves generated during inflation

B-Pol is a medium-class space mission aimed at detecting the primordial gravitational waves generated during inflation through high accuracy measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background polarization. We discuss the scientific background, feasibility of the experiment, and implementation developed in response to the ESA Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Call for Proposals. See for the full list of collaboration members and a full copy of the B-Pol proposal.     

On the APM power spectrum and the CMB anisotropy: evidence for a phase transition during inflation?

Adams et al. have noted that according to our current understanding of the unification of fundamental interactions, there should have been phase transitions associated with spontaneous symmetry breaking during the inflationary era. This may have resulted in the breaking of scale-invariance of the primordial density perturbation for brief periods. A possible such feature was identified in the power spectrum of galaxy clustering in the automated plate measurement (APM) survey at the scale k  ∼ 0.1  h  Mpc ^− 1 and it was shown that the secondary acoustic peaks in the power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy should consequently be suppressed. We demonstrate that this prediction is confirmed by the recent Boomerang and Maxima observations, which favour a step-like spectral feature in the range k  ∼ (0.06–0.6)  h  Mpc ^− 1 , independently of the similar previous indication from the APM data. Such a spectral break enables an excellent fit to both APM and CMB data with a baryon density consistent with the big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) value. It also allows the possibility of a matter-dominated universe with zero cosmological constant, which we show can now account for even the evolution of the abundance of rich clusters.     

The WMAP data and results

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) science team has released results from the first year of operation at the Earth–Sun L₂ Lagrange point. The maps are consistent with previous observations but have much better sensitivity and angular resolution than the COBE DMR maps, and much better calibration accuracy and sky coverage than ground-based and balloon-borne experiments. The angular power spectra from these ground-based and balloon-borne experiments are consistent within their systematic and statistical uncertainties with the WMAP results. WMAP detected the large angular-scale correlation between the temperature and polarization anisotropies of the CMB caused by electron scattering since the Universe became reionized after the “Dark Ages”, giving a value for the electron scattering optical depth of 0.17 ± 0.04. The simplest ΛCDM model with n=1 and Ω_tot=1 fixed provides an adequate fit to the WMAP data and gives parameters which are consistent with determinations of the Hubble constant and observations of the accelerating Universe using supernovae. The time-ordered data, maps, and power spectra from WMAP can be found at http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov along with 13 papers by the WMAP science team describing the results in detail.     

Limits on isocurvature perturbations from non-Gaussianity in WMAP temperature anisotropy

We study the effect of primordial isocurvature perturbations on non-Gaussian properties of cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropies. We consider generic forms of the non-linearity of isocurvature perturbations which can be applied to a wide range of theoretical models. We derive analytical expressions for the bispectrum and the Minkowski Functionals for CMB temperature fluctuations to describe the non-Gaussianity from isocurvature perturbations. We find that the isocurvature non-Gaussianity in the quadratic isocurvature model, where the isocurvature perturbation S is written as a quadratic function of the Gaussian variable  σ,  S =σ²−〈σ²〉  , can give the same signal-to-noise ratio as   f _NL= 30  even if we impose the current observational limit on the fraction of isocurvature perturbations contained in the primordial power spectrum α. We give constraints on isocurvature non-Gaussianity from Minkowski Functionals using the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe ( WMAP ) 5-year data. We do not find a significant signal of isocurvature non-Gaussianity. For the quadratic isocurvature model, we obtain a stringent upper limit on the isocurvature fraction  α < 0.070  (95 per cent CL) for a scale-invariant spectrum which is comparable to the limit obtained from the power spectrum.