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Title: The intrinsic B-mode polarisation of the Cosmic Microwave Background

Abstract

We estimate the B-polarisation induced in the Cosmic Microwave Background by the non-linear evolution of density perturbations. Using the second-order Boltzmann code SONG, our analysis incorporates, for the first time, all physical effects at recombination. We also include novel contributions from the redshift part of the Boltzmann equation and from the bolometric definition of the temperature in the presence of polarisation. The remaining line-of-sight terms (lensing and time-delay) have previously been studied and must be calculated non-perturbatively. The intrinsic B-mode polarisation is present independent of the initial conditions and might contaminate the signal from primordial gravitational waves. We find this contamination to be comparable to a primordial tensor-to-scalar ratio of r ≅ 10{sup −7} at the angular scale ℓ ≅ 100, where the primordial signal peaks, and r ≅ 5 × 10{sup −5} at ℓ ≅ 700, where the intrinsic signal peaks. Therefore, we conclude that the intrinsic B-polarisation from second-order effects is not likely to contaminate future searches of primordial gravitational waves.

Authors:
; ; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3FX (United Kingdom)
  2. Physik Department T31, Technische Universität München, James-Franck-Straße 1, D–85748 Garching (Germany)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22373476
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 2014; Journal Issue: 07; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1475-7516
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; BOLTZMANN EQUATION; DENSITY; EVOLUTION; GRAVITATIONAL WAVES; NONLINEAR PROBLEMS; POLARIZATION; RED SHIFT; RELICT RADIATION; SCALARS; SIGNALS; TENSORS

Citation Formats

Fidler, Christian, Pettinari, Guido W., Crittenden, Robert, Koyama, Kazuya, Wands, David, and Beneke, Martin. The intrinsic B-mode polarisation of the Cosmic Microwave Background. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2014/07/011.
Fidler, Christian, Pettinari, Guido W., Crittenden, Robert, Koyama, Kazuya, Wands, David, & Beneke, Martin. The intrinsic B-mode polarisation of the Cosmic Microwave Background. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2014/07/011
Fidler, Christian, Pettinari, Guido W., Crittenden, Robert, Koyama, Kazuya, Wands, David, and Beneke, Martin. 2014. "The intrinsic B-mode polarisation of the Cosmic Microwave Background". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2014/07/011.
@article{osti_22373476,
title = {The intrinsic B-mode polarisation of the Cosmic Microwave Background},
author = {Fidler, Christian and Pettinari, Guido W. and Crittenden, Robert and Koyama, Kazuya and Wands, David and Beneke, Martin},
abstractNote = {We estimate the B-polarisation induced in the Cosmic Microwave Background by the non-linear evolution of density perturbations. Using the second-order Boltzmann code SONG, our analysis incorporates, for the first time, all physical effects at recombination. We also include novel contributions from the redshift part of the Boltzmann equation and from the bolometric definition of the temperature in the presence of polarisation. The remaining line-of-sight terms (lensing and time-delay) have previously been studied and must be calculated non-perturbatively. The intrinsic B-mode polarisation is present independent of the initial conditions and might contaminate the signal from primordial gravitational waves. We find this contamination to be comparable to a primordial tensor-to-scalar ratio of r ≅ 10{sup −7} at the angular scale ℓ ≅ 100, where the primordial signal peaks, and r ≅ 5 × 10{sup −5} at ℓ ≅ 700, where the intrinsic signal peaks. Therefore, we conclude that the intrinsic B-polarisation from second-order effects is not likely to contaminate future searches of primordial gravitational waves.},
doi = {10.1088/1475-7516/2014/07/011},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22373476}, journal = {Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics},
issn = {1475-7516},
number = 07,
volume = 2014,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}