Parity-violating extensions of the standard electromagnetic theory cause in vacuo rotation of the plane of polarization of propagating photons. This effect, also known as cosmic birefringence, has an impact on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy angular power spectra, producing non-vanishing T-B and E-B correlations that are otherwise null when parity is a symmetry. Here we present new constraints on an isotropic rotation, parametrized by the angle α, derived from Planck 2015 CMB polarization data. To increase the robustness of our analyses, we employ two complementary approaches, in harmonic space and in map space, the latter based on a peak stacking technique. The two approaches provide estimates for α that are in agreement within statistical uncertainties and are very stable against several consistency tests.Considering the T-B and E-B information jointly, we find α = 0°310°05(stat.)±0°28 (syst.) from the harmonic analysis and α = 0°350°05(stat.)±0°28 (syst.) from the stacking approach. These constraints are compatible with no parity violation and are dominated by the systematic uncertainty in the orientation of Planck's polarization-sensitive bolometers.

Aghanim, N., Ashdown, M., Aumont, J., Baccigalupi, C., Ballardini, M., Banday, A., et al. (2016). Planck intermediate results: XLIX. Parity-violation constraints from polarization data. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, 596 [10.1051/0004-6361/201629018].

Planck intermediate results: XLIX. Parity-violation constraints from polarization data

Lattanzi, M.;Tenti, M.;
2016

Abstract

Parity-violating extensions of the standard electromagnetic theory cause in vacuo rotation of the plane of polarization of propagating photons. This effect, also known as cosmic birefringence, has an impact on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy angular power spectra, producing non-vanishing T-B and E-B correlations that are otherwise null when parity is a symmetry. Here we present new constraints on an isotropic rotation, parametrized by the angle α, derived from Planck 2015 CMB polarization data. To increase the robustness of our analyses, we employ two complementary approaches, in harmonic space and in map space, the latter based on a peak stacking technique. The two approaches provide estimates for α that are in agreement within statistical uncertainties and are very stable against several consistency tests.Considering the T-B and E-B information jointly, we find α = 0°310°05(stat.)±0°28 (syst.) from the harmonic analysis and α = 0°350°05(stat.)±0°28 (syst.) from the stacking approach. These constraints are compatible with no parity violation and are dominated by the systematic uncertainty in the orientation of Planck's polarization-sensitive bolometers.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Cosmic background radiation; Cosmological parameters; Cosmology: observations; Methods: data analysis; Methods: statistical;
Cosmic background radiation; Cosmological parameters; Cosmology: observations; Methods: data analysis; Methods: statistical; Astronomy and Astrophysics; Space and Planetary Science
English
2016
596
A110
none
Aghanim, N., Ashdown, M., Aumont, J., Baccigalupi, C., Ballardini, M., Banday, A., et al. (2016). Planck intermediate results: XLIX. Parity-violation constraints from polarization data. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, 596 [10.1051/0004-6361/201629018].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/212921
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