Generic description of CMB power spectra

Abstract

Taking advantage of the smoothness of CMB Cl power spectra, we derive a simple and model-independent parameterization of their measurement. It allows to describe completely the spectrum, ie. provide an estimate of the value and the error for any real l point at the percent level, down to low l multipole. We provide this parameterization for WMAP first year data and show that the spectrum is consistent with the smoothness hypothesis. We also show how such a parameterization allows to retrieve the Cl spectra from the measurement of Fourier rings on the sky (Gamma(m)) or from the angular correlation function (c(theta)