English

Anisotropies in the Cosmic Neutrino Background after WMAP 5-year Data

Astrophysics 2009-06-23 v2

Abstract

We search for the presence of cosmological neutrino background (CNB) anisotropies in recent WMAP 5-year data using their signature imprinted on modifications to cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy power spectrum. By parametrizing the neutrino background anisotropies with the speed viscosity parameter c\visc_\vis, we find that the WMAP 5-year data alone provide only a weak indication for CNB anisotropies with c\vis2>0.06c_\vis^2 > 0.06 at the 95% confidence level. When we combine CMB anisotropy data with measurements of galaxy clustering, SN-Ia Hubble diagram, and other cosmological information, the detection increases to c\vis2>0.16c_\vis^2 > 0.16 at the same 95% confidence level. Future data from Planck, combined with a weak lensing survey such as the one expected with DUNE from space, will be able to measure the CNB anisotropy parameter at about 10% accuracy. We discuss the degeneracy between neutrino background ansiotropies and other cosmological para meters such as the number of effective neutrinos species and the dark energy equation of state.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0804.1925,
  title  = {Anisotropies in the Cosmic Neutrino Background after WMAP 5-year Data},
  author = {Francesco De Bernardis and Luca Pagano and Paolo Serra and Alessandro Melchiorri and Asantha Cooray},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0804.1925},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

7 Pages, 7 Figures