Position-Space Description of the Cosmic Microwave Background and Its Temperature Correlation Function
Abstract
We suggest that the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature correlation function C(theta) as a function of angle provides a direct connection between experimental data and the fundamental cosmological quantities. The evolution of inhomogeneities in the prerecombination universe is studied using their Green's functions in position space. We find that a primordial adiabatic point perturbation propagates as a sharp-edged spherical acoustic wave. Density singularities at its wavefronts create a feature in the CMB correlation function distinguished by a dip at theta ~ 1.2 deg. Characteristics of the feature are sensitive to the values of cosmological parameters, in particular to the total and the baryon densities.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0012153,
title = {Position-Space Description of the Cosmic Microwave Background and Its Temperature Correlation Function},
author = {Sergei Bashinsky and Edmund Bertschinger},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0012153},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
The version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Letters. 4 pages, 3 figures