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

Journal Article · Mon Dec 12 00:00:00 EST 2016 · Astronomy and Astrophysics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201629018· OSTI ID:1398446

Aghanim, N.; Ashdown, M.; Aumont, J.; Baccigalupi, C.; Ballardini, M.; Banday, A. J.; Barreiro, R. B.; Bartolo, N.; Basak, S.; Benabed, K.; Bernard, J. -P.; Bersanelli, M.; Bielewicz, P.; Bonavera, L.; Bond, J. R.; Borrill, J.; Bouchet, F. R.; Burigana, C.; Calabrese, E.; Cardoso, J. -F. ; Carron, J.; Chiang, H. C.; Colombo, L. P. L.; Comis, B.; Contreras, D.; Couchot, F.; Coulais, A.; Crill, B. P.; Curto, A.; Cuttaia, F.; de Bernardis, P.; de Rosa, A.; de Zotti, G.; Delabrouille, J.; Désert, F. -X.; Di Valentino, E.; Dickinson, C.; Diego, J. M.; Doré, O.; Ducout, A.; Dupac, X.; Dusini, S.; Elsner, F.; Enßlin, T. A.; Eriksen, H. K.; Fantaye, Y.; Finelli, F.; Forastieri, F.; Frailis, M.; Franceschi, E.; Frolov, A.; Galeotta, S.; Galli, S.; Ganga, K.; Génova-Santos, R. T.; Gerbino, M.; Giraud-Héraud, Y.; González-Nuevo, J.; Górski, K. M.; Gruppuso, A.; Gudmundsson, J. E.; Hansen, F. K.; Henrot-Versillé, S.; Herranz, D.; Hivon, E.; Huang, Z.; Jaffe, A. H.; Jones, W. C.; Keihänen, E.; Keskitalo, R.; Kiiveri, K.; Krachmalnicoff, N.; Kunz, M.; Kurki-Suonio, H.; Lamarre, J. -M.; Langer, M.; Lasenby, A.; Lattanzi, M.; Lawrence, C. R.; Le Jeune, M.; Leahy, J. P.; Levrier, F.; Liguori, M.; Lilje, P. B.; Lindholm, V.; López-Caniego, M.; Ma, Y. -Z.; Macías-Pérez, J. F.; Maggio, G.; Maino, D.; Mandolesi, N.; Maris, M.; Martin, P. G.; Martínez-González, E.; Matarrese, S.; Mauri, N.; McEwen, J. D.; Meinhold, P. R.; Melchiorri, A.; Mennella, A.; Migliaccio, M.; Miville-Deschênes, M. -A.; Molinari, D.; Moneti, A.; Morgante, G.; Moss, A.; Natoli, P.; Pagano, L.; Paoletti, D.; Patanchon, G.; Patrizii, L.; Perotto, L.; Pettorino, V.; Piacentini, F.; Polastri, L.; Polenta, G.; Rachen, J. P.; Racine, B.; Reinecke, M.; Remazeilles, M.; Renzi, A.; Rocha, G.; Rosset, C.; Rossetti, M.; Roudier, G.; Rubiño-Martín, J. A.; Ruiz-Granados, B.; Sandri, M.; Savelainen, M.; Scott, D.; Sirignano, C.; Sirri, G.; Spencer, L. D.; Suur-Uski, A. -S.; Tauber, J. A.; Tavagnacco, D.; Tenti, M.; Toffolatti, L.; Tomasi, M.; Tristram, M.; Trombetti, T.; Valiviita, J.; Van Tent, F.; Vielva, P.; Villa, F.; Vittorio, N.; Wandelt, B. D.; Wehus, I. K.; Zacchei, A.; Zonca, A.

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.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• Contributing Organization: Planck Collaboration
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 1398446
• Journal Information: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol. 596; ISSN 0004-6361
• Publisher: EDP Sciences
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
cosmology: observations
cosmic background radiation
cosmological parameters
methods: data analysis
methods: statistical