New Measurements of Fine-Scale CMB Polarization Power Spectra from CAPMAP at Both 40 and 90 GHz

We present new measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization from the final season of the Cosmic Anisotropy Polarization MAPper (CAPMAP). The data set was obtained in winter 2004-2005 with the 7 m antenna in Crawford Hill, New Jersey, from 12 W-band (84-100 GHz) and 4 Q-band (36-45 GHz) correlation polarimeters with 3.3' and 6.5' beamsizes, respectively. After selection criteria were applied, 956 (939) hours of data survived for analysis of W-band (Q-band) data. Two independent and complementary pipelines produced results in excellent agreement with each other. A broad suite of null tests as well as extensive simulations showed that systematic errors were minimal, and a comparison of the W-band and Q-band sky maps revealed no contamination from galactic foregrounds. We report the E-mode and B-mode power spectra in 7 bands in the range 200 < l < 3000, extending the range of previous measurements to higher l. The E-mode spectrum, which is detected at 11 sigma significance, is in agreement with cosmological predictions and with previous work at other frequencies and angular resolutions. The BB power spectrum provides one of the best limits to date on B-mode power at 4.8 uK^2 (95% confidence).Comment: 19 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Ap

Constraints on scalar-tensor theories of gravity from observations

In spite of their original discrepancy, both dark energy and modified theory of gravity can be parameterized by the effective equation of state (EOS) $\omega$ for the expansion history of the Universe. A useful model independent approach to the EOS of them can be given by so-called Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (CPL) parametrization where two parameters of it ($\omega_{0}$ and $\omega_{a}$) can be constrained by the geometrical observations which suffer from degeneracies between models. The linear growth of large scale structure is usually used to remove these degeneracies. This growth can be described by the growth index parameter $\gamma$ and it can be parameterized by $\gamma_{0} + \gamma_{a} (1 - a)$ in general. We use the scalar-tensor theories of gravity (STG) and show that the discernment between models is possible only when $\gamma_a$ is not negligible. We show that the linear density perturbation of the matter component as a function of redshift severely constrains the viable subclasses of STG in terms of $\omega$ and $\gamma$. From this method, we can rule out or prove the viable STG in future observations. When we use $Z(\phi) =1$, $F$ shows the convex shape of evolution in a viable STG model. The viable STG models with $Z(\phi) = 1$ are not distinguishable from dark energy models when we strongly limit the solar system constraint.Comment: 19 pages, 20 figures, 2 tables, submitted to JCA

In vivo and in vitro evidence for the role of elastase shedding of CD163 in human atherothrombosis

Aims: CD163 is a macrophage receptor for haptoglogin/hemoglobin (Hp-Hb) complexes, responsible for the clearance of hemoglobin. We hypothesized that production of soluble CD163 may be due to proleolytic shedding of membrane CD163 by neutrophil elastase, reported to be increased in culprit atherosclerotic plaques. We analyzed the relationship between CD163 solubilization and elastase in vitro, in macrophage culture, ex vivo in human atherosclerotic plaque samples, and in vivo plasma of patients with coronary artery disease. Methods and Results: Neutrophil elastase was shown to enhance CD163 shedding and decreased the uptake of hemoglobin-haptoblobin (Hb-Hp) complexes by cultured macrophages. In addition, cultured carotid endarterectomy samples showing features of intra-plaque hemorrhage released more sCD163 and elastase/α1-antitrypsin (α1-AT) complexes than non-hemorrhagic plaques (n=44). Plasma levels of sCD163 and neutrophil elastase (complexed with α1-AT) were measured in patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS, n=42), stable angina pectoris (SAP, n=28), or normal coronary angiograms without subclinical atherosclerosis (n=21). ACS patients had higher sCD163 and elastase/α1-AT complexes plasma concentrations than subjects without coronary atherosclerosis. Circulating sCD163 and elastase/α1-AT complexes were positively correlated in patients with ACS (r=0.51, p<0.001) and SAP (r=0.62, p<0.001). Conclusion: Our results suggest that neutrophil elastase promotes CD163 shedding, resulting in a decreased clearance of Hb by macrophages, which may favor plaque destabilization. This may be reflected by increased plasma levels of sCD163 and elastase/α1-AT complexes which are positively correlated in patients with coronary artery disease

Generating G2G_2--cosmologies with perfect fluid in dilaton gravity

We present a method for generating exact diagonal $G_2$-cosmological solutions in dilaton gravity coupled to a radiation perfect fluid and with a cosmological potential of a special type. The method is based on the symmetry group of the system of $G_2$-field equations. Several new classes of explicit exact inhomogeneous perfect fluid scalar-tensor cosmologies are presented.Comment: 10 pages, LaTe

First measurements of the polarization of the cosmic microwave background radiation at small angular scales from CAPMAP

Polarization results from the Cosmic Anisotropy Polarization MAPper (CAPMAP) experiment are reported. These are based upon 433 hours, after cuts, observing a 2 square degree patch around the North Celestial Pole (NCP) with four 90 GHz correlation polarimeters coupled to optics defining 4\arcmin beams. The E-mode flat bandpower anisotropy within $\ell=940^{+330}_{-300}$ is measured as 66$^{+69}_{-29} \mu$K$^2$; the 95% Confidence level upper limit for B-mode power within $\ell=1050^{+590}_{-520}$ is measured as 38 $\mu$K$^2$.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; corrected formatting and comments of second version, identical in substance. In the first version the wrong concordance model was used, results (fit to multiplier to concordance model) and figures have been updated to the proper one. In the first version the central 68% regions were quoted, while now the 68% confidence intervals of highest posterior density are give

QUaD: A High-Resolution Cosmic Microwave Background Polarimeter

We describe the QUaD experiment, a millimeter-wavelength polarimeter designed to observe the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) from a site at the South Pole. The experiment comprises a 2.64 m Cassegrain telescope equipped with a cryogenically cooled receiver containing an array of 62 polarization-sensitive bolometers. The focal plane contains pixels at two different frequency bands, 100 GHz and 150 GHz, with angular resolutions of 5 arcmin and 3.5 arcmin, respectively. The high angular resolution allows observation of CMB temperature and polarization anisotropies over a wide range of scales. The instrument commenced operation in early 2005 and collected science data during three successive Austral winter seasons of observation.Comment: 23 pages, author list and text updated to reflect published versio

Solution generating in scalar-tensor theories with a massless scalar field and stiff perfect fluid as a source

We present a method for generating solutions in some scalar-tensor theories with a minimally coupled massless scalar field or irrotational stiff perfect fluid as a source. The method is based on the group of symmetries of the dilaton-matter sector in the Einstein frame. In the case of Barker's theory the dilaton-matter sector possesses SU(2) group of symmetries. In the case of Brans-Dicke and the theory with "conformal coupling", the dilaton- matter sector has $SL(2,R)$ as a group of symmetries. We describe an explicit algorithm for generating exact scalar-tensor solutions from solutions of Einstein-minimally-coupled-scalar-field equations by employing the nonlinear action of the symmetry group of the dilaton-matter sector. In the general case, when the Einstein frame dilaton-matter sector may not possess nontrivial symmetries we also present a solution generating technique which allows us to construct exact scalar-tensor solutions starting with the solutions of Einstein-minimally-coupled-scalar-field equations. As an illustration of the general techniques, examples of explicit exact solutions are constructed. In particular, we construct inhomogeneous cosmological scalar-tensor solutions whose curvature invariants are everywhere regular in space-time. A generalization of the method for scalar-tensor-Maxwell gravity is outlined.Comment: 10 pages,Revtex; v2 extended version, new parts added and some parts rewritten, results presented more concisely, some simple examples of homogeneous solutions replaced with new regular inhomogeneous solutions, typos corrected, references and acknowledgements added, accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.

CMB Polarimetry using Correlation Receivers with the PIQUE and CAPMAP Experiments

The Princeton IQU Experiment (PIQUE) and the Cosmic Anisotropy Polarization MAPper (CAPMAP) are experiments designed to measure the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) on sub-degree scales in an area within 1 degree of the North Celestial Pole using heterodyne correlation polarimeters and off-axis telescopes located in central New Jersey. PIQUE produced the tightest limit on the CMB polarization prior to its detection by DASI, while CAPMAP has recently detected polarization at l~1000. The experimental methods and instrumentation for these two projects are described in detail with emphasis on the particular challenges involved in measuring the tiny polarized component of the CMB.Comment: 70 pages, 13 tables, 18 figures. Accepted by ApJS; tentative publication ApJS July 2005, v159

The QUIET Instrument

The Q/U Imaging ExperimenT (QUIET) is designed to measure polarization in the Cosmic Microwave Background, targeting the imprint of inflationary gravitational waves at large angular scales (~ 1 degree). Between 2008 October and 2010 December, two independent receiver arrays were deployed sequentially on a 1.4 m side-fed Dragonian telescope. The polarimeters which form the focal planes use a highly compact design based on High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) that provides simultaneous measurements of the Stokes parameters Q, U, and I in a single module. The 17-element Q-band polarimeter array, with a central frequency of 43.1 GHz, has the best sensitivity (69 uK sqrt(s)) and the lowest instrumental systematic errors ever achieved in this band, contributing to the tensor-to-scalar ratio at r < 0.1. The 84-element W-band polarimeter array has a sensitivity of 87 uK sqrt(s) at a central frequency of 94.5 GHz. It has the lowest systematic errors to date, contributing at r < 0.01. The two arrays together cover multipoles in the range l= 25-975. These are the largest HEMT-based arrays deployed to date. This article describes the design, calibration, performance of, and sources of systematic error for the instrument

Cosmology With Non-Minimally Coupled K-Field

We consider non-minimally coupled (with gravity) scalar field with non-canonical kinetic energy. The form of the kinetic term is of Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) form.We study the early evolution of the universe when it is sourced only by the k-field, as well as late time evolution when both the matter and k-field are present. For the k-field, we have considered constant potential as well as potential inspired from Boundary String Field Theory (B-SFT). We show that it is possible to have inflationary solution in early time as well as late time accelerating phase. The solutions also exhibit attractor property in a sense that it does not depend on the initial conditions for a certain values of the parameters.Comment: 10 pages, Revtex style, 14 eps figures, to appear in General Relativity and Gravitatio