Which spectral distortions does Λ\LambdaCDM actually predict?

Ever refined cosmological measurements have established the $\Lambda$CDM concordance model, with the key cosmological parameters being determined to percent-level precision today. This allows us to make explicit predictions for the spectral distortions of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) created by various processes occurring in the early Universe. Here, we summarize all guaranteed CMB distortions and assess their total uncertainty within $\Lambda$CDM. We also compare simple methods for approximating them, highlighting some of the subtle aspects when it comes to interpreting future distortion measurements. Under simplified assumptions, we briefly study how well a PIXIE-like experiment may measure the main distortion parameters (i.e., $\mu$ and $y$). Next generation CMB spectrometers are expected to detect the distortion caused by reionization and structure formation at extremely high significance. They will also be able to constrain the small-scale power spectrum through the associated $\mu$-distortion, improving limits on running of the spectral index. Distortions from the recombination era, adiabatic cooling of matter relative to the CMB and dark matter annihilation require a higher sensitivity than PIXIE in its current design. The crucial next step is an improved modeling of foregrounds and instrumental aspects, as we briefly discuss here.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, accepted by MNRA

CMB spectral distortions from small-scale isocurvature fluctuations

The damping of primordial perturbations at small scales gives rise to distortions of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Here, the dependence of the distortion on the different types of cosmological initial conditions is explored, covering adiabatic, baryon/cold dark matter isocurvature, neutrino density/velocity isocurvature modes and some mixtures. The radiation transfer functions for each mode are determined and then used to compute the dissipative heating rates and spectral distortion signatures, utilizing both analytic estimates and numerical results from the thermalization code CosmoTherm. Along the way, the early-time super-horizon behavior for the resulting fluid modes is derived in conformal Newtonian gauge, and tight-coupling transfer function approximations are given. CMB spectral distortions caused by different perturbation modes can be estimated using simple k-space window functions which are provided here. Neutrinos carry away some fraction of the primordial perturbation power, introducing an overall efficiency factor that depends on the perturbation type. It is shown that future measurements of the CMB frequency spectrum have the potential to probe different perturbation modes at very small scales (corresponding to wavenumbers 1 Mpc^{-1} < k < few x 10^4 Mpc^{-1}). These constraints are complementary to those obtained at large scales and hence provide an exciting new window to early-universe physics.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, minor changes, accepted versio