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

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.; D?sert, F.-X.; Di Valentino, E.; Dickinson, C.; Diego, J.M.; Dor?, O.; Ducout, A.; Dupac, X.; Dusini, S.; Elsner, F.; En?lin, T.A.; Eriksen, H.K.; Fantaye, Y.; Finelli, F.; Forastieri, F.; Frailis, M.; Franceschi, E.; Frolov, A.; Galeotta, S.; Galli, S.; Ganga, K.; G?nova-Santos, R.T.; Gerbino, M.; Giraud-H?raud, Y.; Gonz?lez-Nuevo, J.; G?rski, K.M.; Gruppuso, A.; Gudmundsson, J.E.; Hansen, F.K.; Henrot-Versill?, S.; Herranz, D.; Hivon, E.; Huang, Z.; Jaffe, A.H.; Jones, W.C.; Keih?nen, E.; Keskitalo, R.; Kiiveri, K...

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 from the harmonic analysis and 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.

Citation

Aghanim, N., Ashdown, M., Aumont, J., Baccigalupi, C., Ballardini, M., Banday, A., …Zonca, A. (in press). Planck intermediate results. XLIX. Parity-violation constraints from polarization data. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 596, Article A110. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201629018

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 4, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Dec 12, 2016
• Deposit Date: Apr 28, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 28, 2017
• Journal: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Electronic ISSN: 1432-0746
• Publisher: EDP Sciences
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 596
• Article Number: A110
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201629018
• Keywords: cosmology: observations / cosmic background radiation / cosmological parameters' methods: data analysis; methods: statistical
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/835213
• Publisher URL: http://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2016/12/aa29018-16/aa29018-16.html
• Contract Date: Apr 28, 2017