191 research outputs found
Gravitational lensing as a contaminant of the gravity wave signal in CMB
Gravity waves (GW) in the early universe generate B-type polarization in the
cosmic microwave background (CMB), which can be used as a direct way to measure
the energy scale of inflation. Gravitational lensing contaminates the GW signal
by converting the dominant E polarization into B polarization. By
reconstructing the lensing potential from CMB itself one can decontaminate the
B mode induced by lensing. We present results of numerical simulations of B
mode delensing using quadratic and iterative maximum-likelihood lensing
reconstruction methods as a function of detector noise and beam. In our
simulations we find the quadratic method can reduce the lensing B noise power
by up to a factor of 7, close to the no noise limit. In contrast, the iterative
method shows significant improvements even at the lowest noise levels we
tested. We demonstrate explicitly that with this method at least a factor of 40
noise power reduction in lensing induced B power is possible, suggesting that
T/S=10^-6 may be achievable in the absence of sky cuts, foregrounds, and
instrumental systematics. While we do not find any fundamental lower limit due
to lensing, we find that for high-sensitivity detectors residual lensing noise
dominates over the detector noise.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, submitted to PR
A scale-dependent power asymmetry from isocurvature perturbations
If the hemispherical power asymmetry observed in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on large angular scales is attributable to a superhorizon curvaton fluctuation, then the simplest model predicts that the primordial density fluctuations should be similarly asymmetric on all smaller scales. The distribution of high-redshift quasars was recently used to constrain the power asymmetry on scales kâ–ˇ1.5hMpc-1, and the upper bound on the amplitude of the asymmetry was found to be a factor of 6 smaller than the amplitude of the asymmetry in the CMB. We show that it is not possible to generate an asymmetry with this scale dependence by changing the relative contributions of the inflaton and curvaton to the adiabatic power spectrum. Instead, we consider curvaton scenarios in which the curvaton decays after dark matter freezes out, thus generating isocurvature perturbations. If there is a superhorizon fluctuation in the curvaton field, then the rms amplitude of these perturbations will be asymmetric, and the asymmetry will be most apparent on large angular scales in the CMB. We find that it is only possible to generate the observed asymmetry in the CMB while satisfying the quasar constraint if the curvaton's contribution to the total dark matter density is small, but nonzero. The model also requires that the majority of the primordial power comes from fluctuations in the inflaton field. Future observations and analyses of the CMB will test this model because the power asymmetry generated by this model has a specific spectrum, and the model requires that the current upper bounds on isocurvature power are nearly saturated
Spatial averaging and apparent acceleration in inhomogeneous spaces
As an alternative to dark energy that explains the observed acceleration of
the universe, it has been suggested that we may be at the center of an
inhomogeneous isotropic universe described by a Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi (LTB)
solution of Einstein's field equations. To test this possibility, it is
necessary to solve the null geodesics. In this paper we first give a detailed
derivation of a fully analytical set of differential equations for the radial
null geodesics as functions of the redshift in LTB models. As an application we
use these equaions to show that a positive averaged acceleration obtained
in LTB models through spatial averaging can be incompatible with cosmological
observations. We provide examples of LTB models with positive which fail
to reproduce the observed luminosity distance . Since the apparent
cosmic acceleration is obtained from fitting the observed luminosity
distance to a FLRW model we conclude that in general a positive in LTB
models does not imply a positive .Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures. Explicit derivation of the fully analytical
null geodesic equations has been added. Published in GR
How to measure redshift-space distortions without sample variance
We show how to use multiple tracers of large-scale density with different
biases to measure the redshift-space distortion parameter
beta=f/b=(dlnD/dlna)/b (where D is the growth rate and a the expansion factor),
to a much better precision than one could achieve with a single tracer, to an
arbitrary precision in the low noise limit. In combination with the power
spectrum of the tracers this allows a much more precise measurement of the
bias-free velocity divergence power spectrum, f^2 P_m - in fact, in the low
noise limit f^2 P_m can be measured as well as would be possible if velocity
divergence was observed directly, with rms improvement factor ~[5.2(beta^2+2
beta+2)/beta^2]^0.5 (e.g., ~10 times better than a single tracer for beta=0.4).
This would allow a high precision determination of f D as a function of
redshift with an error as low as 0.1%. We find up to two orders of magnitude
improvement in Figure of Merit for the Dark Energy equation of state relative
to Stage II, a factor of several better than other proposed Stage IV Dark
Energy surveys. The ratio b_2/b_1 will be determined with an even greater
precision than beta, producing, when measured as a function of scale, an
exquisitely sensitive probe of the onset of non-linear bias. We also extend in
more detail previous work on the use of the same technique to measure
non-Gaussianity. Currently planned redshift surveys are typically designed with
signal to noise of unity on scales of interest, and are not optimized for this
technique. Our results suggest that this strategy may need to be revisited as
there are large gains to be achieved from surveys with higher number densities
of galaxies.Comment: 22 pages, 13 figure
Non-detection of a statistically anisotropic power spectrum in large-scale structure
We search a sample of photometric luminous red galaxies (LRGs) measured by
the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) for a quadrupolar anisotropy in the
primordial power spectrum, in which P(\vec{k}) is an isotropic power spectrum
P(k) multiplied by a quadrupolar modulation pattern. We first place limits on
the 5 coefficients of a general quadrupole anisotropy. We also consider
axisymmetric quadrupoles of the form P(\vec{k}) = P(k){1 +
g_*[(\hat{k}\cdot\hat{n})^2-1/3]} where \hat{n} is the axis of the anisotropy.
When we force the symmetry axis \hat{n} to be in the direction (l,b)=(94
degrees,26 degrees) identified in the recent Groeneboom et al. analysis of the
cosmic microwave background, we find g_*=0.006+/-0.036 (1 sigma). With uniform
priors on \hat{n} and g_* we find that -0.41<g_*<+0.38 with 95% probability,
with the wide range due mainly to the large uncertainty of asymmetries aligned
with the Galactic Plane. In none of these three analyses do we detect evidence
for quadrupolar power anisotropy in large scale structure.Comment: 23 pages; 10 figures; 3 tables; replaced with version published in
JCAP (added discussion of scale-varying quadrupolar anisotropy
CMB Lensing Reconstruction on the Full Sky
Gravitational lensing of the microwave background by the intervening dark
matter mainly arises from large-angle fluctuations in the projected
gravitational potential and hence offers a unique opportunity to study the
physics of the dark sector at large scales. Studies with surveys that cover
greater than a percent of the sky will require techniques that incorporate the
curvature of the sky. We lay the groundwork for these studies by deriving the
full sky minimum variance quadratic estimators of the lensing potential from
the CMB temperature and polarization fields. We also present a general
technique for constructing these estimators, with harmonic space convolutions
replaced by real space products, that is appropriate for both the full sky
limit and the flat sky approximation. This also extends previous treatments to
include estimators involving the temperature-polarization cross-correlation and
should be useful for next generation experiments in which most of the
additional information from polarization comes from this channel due to
sensitivity limitations.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D; typos correcte
Cross-Correlation Studies with CMB Polarization Maps
The free-electron population during the reionized epoch rescatters CMB
temperature quadrupole and generates a now well-known polarization signal at
large angular scales. While this contribution has been detected in the
temperature-polarization cross power spectrum measured with WMAP data, due to
the large cosmic variance associated with anisotropy measurements at tens of
degree angular scales only limited information related to reionization, such as
the optical depth to electron scattering, can be extracted. The inhomogeneities
in the free-electron population lead to an additional secondary polarization
anisotropy contribution at arcminute scales. While the fluctuation amplitude,
relative to dominant primordial fluctuations, is small, we suggest that a
cross-correlation between arcminute scale CMB polarization data and a tracer
field of the high redshift universe, such as through fluctuations captured by
the 21 cm neutral Hydrogen background or those in the infrared background
related to first proto-galaxies, may allow one to study additional details
related to reionization. For this purpose, we discuss an optimized higher order
correlation measurement, in the form of a three-point function, including
information from large angular scale CMB temperature anisotropies in addition
to arcminute scale polarization signal related to inhomogeneous reionization.
We suggest that the proposed bispectrum can be measured with a substantial
signal-to-noise ratio and does not require all-sky maps of CMB polarization or
that of the tracer field. A measurement such as the one proposed may allow one
to establish the epoch when CMB polarization related to reionization is
generated and to address if the universe was reionized once or twice.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures; Version in press with Phys. Rev.
Solar Neutrinos: What We Have Learned
The four operating solar neutrino experiments confirm the hypothesis that the
energy source for solar luminosity is hydrogen fusion. However, the measured
rate for each of the four solar neutrino experiments differs significantly (by
factors of 2.0 to 3.5) from the corresponding theoretical prediction that is
based upon the standard solar model and the simplest version of the standard
electroweak theory. If standard electroweak theory is correct, the energy
spectrum for \b8 neutrinos created in the solar interior must be the same (to
one part in ) as the known laboratory \b8 neutrino energy spectrum.
Direct comparison of the chlorine and the Kamiokande experiments, both
sensitive to \b8 neutrinos, suggests that the discrepancy between theory and
observations depends upon neutrino energy, in conflict with standard
expectations. Monte Carlo studies with 1000 implementations of the standard
solar model confirm that the chlorine and the Kamiokande experiments cannot be
reconciled unless new weak interaction physics changes the shape of the \b8
neutrino energy spectrum. The results of the two gallium solar neutrino
experiments strengthen the conclusion that new physics is required and help
determine a relatively small allowed region for the MSW neutrino parameters.Comment: LaTeX file, 19 pages. For hardcopy with figures contact
[email protected]. Institute for Advanced Study number AST 93/6
Extension of the sum rule for the transition rates between multiplets to the multiphoton case
The sum rule for the transition rates between the components of two
multiplets, known for the one-photon transitions, is extended to the
multiphoton transitions in hydrogen and hydrogen-like ions. As an example the
transitions 3p-2p, 4p-3p and 4d-3d are considered. The numerical results are
compared with previous calculations.Comment: 10 pages, 4 table
Neutrino Interferometry In Curved Spacetime
Gravitational lensing introduces the possibility of multiple (macroscopic)
paths from an astrophysical neutrino source to a detector. Such a multiplicity
of paths can allow for quantum mechanical interference to take place that is
qualitatively different to neutrino oscillations in flat space. After an
illustrative example clarifying some under-appreciated subtleties of the phase
calculation, we derive the form of the quantum mechanical phase for a neutrino
mass eigenstate propagating non-radially through a Schwarzschild metric. We
subsequently determine the form of the interference pattern seen at a detector.
We show that the neutrino signal from a supernova could exhibit the
interference effects we discuss were it lensed by an object in a suitable mass
range. We finally conclude, however, that -- given current neutrino detector
technology -- the probability of such lensing occurring for a
(neutrino-detectable) supernova is tiny in the immediate future.Comment: 25 pages, 1 .eps figure. Updated version -- with simplified notation
-- accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.D. Extra author adde
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