Optimal limits on f_{NL}^{local} from WMAP 5-year data
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
2009-09-28 v2
Abstract
We have applied the optimal estimator for f_{NL}^{local} to the 5 year WMAP data. Marginalizing over the amplitude of foreground templates we get -4 < f_{NL}^{local} < 80 at 95% CL. Error bars of previous (sub-optimal) analyses are roughly 40% larger than these. The probability that a Gaussian simulation, analyzed using our estimator, gives a result larger in magnitude than the one we find is 7%. Our pipeline gives consistent results when applied to the three and five year WMAP data releases and agrees well with the results from our own sub-optimal pipeline. We find no evidence of any residual foreground contamination.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0901.2572,
title = {Optimal limits on f_{NL}^{local} from WMAP 5-year data},
author = {Kendrick M. Smith and Leonardo Senatore and Matias Zaldarriaga},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0901.2572},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
[v1] 21 pages, 7 figures. [v2] minor changes matching published version