|
|
|
|
Power spectra and the Structure of CMB Anisotropies The structure of the CMB anisotropies is quantified using power spectra which indicate the amplitude of the variations as a function of angular scale (see the full thesis for a more detailed discussion of how these power spectra are obtained by decomposing the fluctuations on the sky into spherical harmonics). The power spectra of both the temperature and polarization anisotropies (as well as the non-trivial power-spectra of the cross-correlation between the temperature and polarization) for different cosmological models can be calculated using Boltzmann codes like CMBFAST. The exact shapes of these curves depend upon the parameters assumed by the model, which allows cosmological information to be extracted from measurements of the power spectra. The complex relationships between the detailed shape of the predicted power spectra and the assumed cosmological parameters cannot be dealt with here. However, an introduction to the relatively simple physics underlying the basic pattern of bumps and wiggles common to all the illustrated power spectra will be sufficient to demonstrate the close relationship between the temperature and polarization anisotropies and the plausibility of current expectations regarding the detectability of the cosmological polarized signal . The Origin of Cosmological Polarization The Structure of Cosmological Polarization Power Spectra and the Structure of CMB Anisotropies Initial Conditions and Inflation The Evolution of Perturbations and Acoustic Oscillations Acoustic Oscillations and Apparent Temperature Variations |
|
|
