A re-analysis of the three-year WMAP temperature power spectrum and likelihood

We analyze the three-year WMAP temperature anisotropy data seeking to confirm the power spectrum and likelihoods published by the WMAP team. We apply five independent implementations of four algorithms to the power spectrum estimation and two implementations to the parameter estimation. Our single most important result is that we broadly confirm the WMAP power spectrum and analysis. Still, we do find two small but potentially important discrepancies: On large angular scales there is a small power excess in the WMAP spectrum (5-10% at l<~30) primarily due to likelihood approximation issues between 13 <= l <~30. On small angular scales there is a systematic difference between the V- and W-band spectra (few percent at l>~300). Recently, the latter discrepancy was explained by Huffenberger et al. (2006) in terms of over-subtraction of unresolved point sources. As far as the low-l bias is concerned, most parameters are affected by a few tenths of a sigma. The most important effect is seen in n_s. For the combination of WMAP, Acbar and BOOMERanG, the significance of n_s =/ 1 drops from ~2.7 sigma to ~2.3 sigma when correcting for this bias. We propose a few simple improvements to the low-l WMAP likelihood code, and introduce two important extensions to the Gibbs sampling method that allows for proper sampling of the low signal-to-noise regime. Finally, we make the products from the Gibbs sampling analysis publically available, thereby providing a fast and simple route to the exact likelihood without the need of expensive matrix inversions.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ. Numerical results unchanged, but interpretation sharpened: Likelihood approximation issues at l=13-30 far more important than potential foreground issues at l <= 12. Gibbs products (spectrum and sky samples, and "easy-to-use" likelihood module) available from http://www.astro.uio.no/~hke/ under "Research

Footprints of Statistical Anisotropies

We propose and develop a formalism to describe and constrain statistically anisotropic primordial perturbations. Starting from a decomposition of the primordial power spectrum in spherical harmonics, we find how the temperature fluctuations observed in the CMB sky are directly related to the coefficients in this harmonic expansion. Although the angular power spectrum does not discriminate between statistically isotropic and anisotropic perturbations, it is possible to define analogous quadratic estimators that are direct measures of statistical anisotropy. As a simple illustration of our formalism we test for the existence of a preferred direction in the primordial perturbations using full-sky CMB maps. We do not find significant evidence supporting the existence of a dipole component in the primordial spectrum.Comment: 26 pages, 5 double figures. Uses RevTeX

Multipole vector anomalies in the first-year WMAP data: a cut-sky analysis

We apply the recently defined multipole vector framework to the frequency-specific first-year WMAP sky maps, estimating the low-l multipole coefficients from the high-latitude sky by means of a power equalization filter. While most previous analyses of this type have considered only heavily processed (and foreground-contaminated) full-sky maps, the present approach allows for greater control of residual foregrounds, and therefore potentially also for cosmologically important conclusions. The low-l spherical harmonics coefficients and corresponding multipole vectors are tabulated for easy reference. Using this formalism, we re-assess a set of earlier claims of both cosmological and non-cosmological low-l correlations based on multipole vectors. First, we show that the apparent l=3 and 8 correlation claimed by Copi et al. (2004) is present only in the heavily processed map produced by Tegmark et al. (2003), and must therefore be considered an artifact of that map. Second, the well-known quadrupole-octopole correlation is confirmed at the 99% significance level, and shown to be robust with respect to frequency and sky cut. Previous claims are thus supported by our analysis. Finally, the low-l alignment with respect to the ecliptic claimed by Schwarz et al. (2004) is nominally confirmed in this analysis, but also shown to be very dependent on severe a-posteriori choices. Indeed, we show that given the peculiar quadrupole-octopole arrangement, finding such a strong alignment with the ecliptic is not unusual.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures; corrected typos; added reference. Accepted for publication in Ap

Astrophysical components separation of COBE-DMR 4yr data with FastICA

We present an application of the fast Independent Component Analysis method to the COBE-DMR 4yr data. Although the signal-to-noise ratio in the COBE-DMR data is typically $\sim 1$, the approach is able to extract the CMB signal with high confidence when working at high galactic latitudes. The reconstructed CMB map shows the expected frequency scaling of the CMB. We fit the resulting CMB component for the rms quadrupole normalisation Qrms and primordial spectral index n and find results in excellent agreement with those derived from the minimum-noise combination of the 90 and 53 GHz DMR channels without galactic emission correction. Including additional channels (priors) such as the Haslam map of radio emission at 408 MHz and the DIRBE 140um map of galactic infra-red emission, the FastICA algorithm is able to both detect galactic foreground emission and separate it from the dominant CMB signal. Fitting the resulting CMB component for Qrms and n we find good agreement with the results from Gorski et al.(1996) in which the galactic emission has been taken into account by subtracting that part of the DMR signal observed to be correlated with these galactic template maps. We further investigate the ability of FastICA to evaluate the extent of foreground contamination in the COBE-DMR data. We include an all-sky Halpha survey (Dickinson, Davies & Davis 2003) to determine a reliable free-free template. In particular we find that, after subtraction of the thermal dust emission predicted by the Finkbeiner, Davis & Schlegel (1999) model 7, this component is the dominant foreground emission at 31.5 GHz. This indicates the presence of an anomalous dust correlated component which is well fitted by a power law spectral shape $\nu^{-\beta}$ with $\beta \sim 2.5$ in agreement with Banday et al. (2003).Comment: Submitted to MNRA

Foreground Subtraction of Cosmic Microwave Background Maps using WI-FIT (Wavelet based hIgh resolution Fitting of Internal Templates)

We present a new approach to foreground removal for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) maps. Rather than relying on prior knowledge about the foreground components, we first extract the necessary information about them directly from the microwave sky maps by taking differences of temperature maps at different frequencies. These difference maps, which we refer to as internal templates, consist only of linear combinations of galactic foregrounds and noise, with no CMB component. We obtain the foreground cleaned maps by fitting these internal templates to, and subsequently subtracting the appropriately scaled contributions of them from, the CMB dominated channels. The fitting operation is performed in wavelet space, making the analysis feasible at high resolution with only a minor loss of precision. Applying this procedure to the WMAP data, we obtain a power spectrum that matches the spectrum obtained by the WMAP team at the signal dominated scales. Finally, we have revisited previous claims about a north-south power asymmetry on large angular scales, and confirm that these remain unchanged with this completely different approach to foreground separation. This also holds when fitting the foreground contribution independently to the northern and southern hemisphere indicating that the asymmetry is unlikely to have its origin in different foreground properties of the hemispheres. This conclusion is further strengthened by the lack of any observed frequency dependence.Comment: Submitted to Ap

Run 2 Upgrades to the CMS Level-1 Calorimeter Trigger

The CMS Level-1 calorimeter trigger is being upgraded in two stages to maintain performance as the LHC increases pile-up and instantaneous luminosity in its second run. In the first stage, improved algorithms including event-by-event pile-up corrections are used. New algorithms for heavy ion running have also been developed. In the second stage, higher granularity inputs and a time-multiplexed approach allow for improved position and energy resolution. Data processing in both stages of the upgrade is performed with new, Xilinx Virtex-7 based AMC cards.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

CMB component separation by parameter estimation

We propose a solution to the CMB component separation problem based on standard parameter estimation techniques. We assume a parametric spectral model for each signal component, and fit the corresponding parameters pixel by pixel in a two-stage process. First we fit for the full parameter set (e.g., component amplitudes and spectral indices) in low-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio maps using MCMC, obtaining both best-fit values for each parameter, and the associated uncertainty. The goodness-of-fit is evaluated by a chi^2 statistic. Then we fix all non-linear parameters at their low-resolution best-fit values, and solve analytically for high-resolution component amplitude maps. This likelihood approach has many advantages: The fitted model may be chosen freely, and the method is therefore completely general; all assumptions are transparent; no restrictions on spatial variations of foreground properties are imposed; the results may be rigorously monitored by goodness-of-fit tests; and, most importantly, we obtain reliable error estimates on all estimated quantities. We apply the method to simulated Planck and six-year WMAP data based on realistic models, and show that separation at the muK level is indeed possible in these cases. We also outline how the foreground uncertainties may be rigorously propagated through to the CMB power spectrum and cosmological parameters using a Gibbs sampling technique.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, submitted to ApJ. For a high-resolution version, see http://www.astro.uio.no/~hke/docs/eriksen_et_al_fgfit.p

Constraints on mixing angles of Majorana neutrinos

By combining the inputs from the neutrinoless double beta decay and the fits of cosmological models of dark matter with solar and atmospheric neutrino data, we obtain constraints on two of the mixing angles of Majorana neutrinos, which become stronger when coupled with the reactor neutrino data. These constraints are strong enough to rule out Majorana neutrinos if the small angle solution of solar neutrino puzzle is borne out.Comment: Some corrections and clarifications adde

Cosmic Microwave Background Temperature and Polarization Anisotropy in Brans-Dicke Cosmology

We develop a formalism for calculating cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization anisotropies in cosmological models with Brans-Dicke gravity. We then modify publicly available Boltzmann codes to calculate numerically the temperature and polarization power spectra. Results are illustrated with a few representative models. Comparing with the general-relativistic model with the same cosmological parameters, both the amplitude and the width of the acoustic peaks are different in the Brans-Dicke models. We use a covariance-matrix calculation to investigate whether the effects of Brans-Dicke gravity are degenerate with those of variation in other cosmological parameters and to simultaneously determine whether forthcoming CMB maps might be able to distinguish Brans-Dicke and general-relativistic cosmology. Although the predicted power spectra for plausible Brans-Dicke models differ from those in general relativity only slightly, we find that MAP and/or the Planck Surveyor may in principle provide a test of Brans-Dicke theory that is competitive to solar-system tests. For example, if all other parameters except for the CMB normalization are fixed, a value of the Brans-Dicke parameter omega as large as 500 could be identified with MAP, and for Planck, values as large as omega \simeq3000 could be identified; these sensitivities are decreased roughly by a factor of 3 if we marginalize over the baryon density, Hubble constant, spectral index, and reionization optical depth. In more general scalar-tensor theories, omega may evolve with time, and in this case, the CMB probe would be complementary to that from solar-system tests.Comment: 27 pages, 10 figures, typeset using RevTe