Related papers: Using the COBE/DMR data as a test-bed for normalit…
We use the two-point correlation function of the extrema points (peaks and valleys) in the COBE Differential Microwave Radiometers (DMR) 2-year sky maps as a test for non-Gaussian temperature distribution in the cosmic microwave background…
A non-Gaussian detection in the WMAP 1-year data is reported. The detection has been found in the combined Q-V-W map proposed by the WMAP team (Komatsu et al. 2003) after applying a wavelet technique based on the Spherical Mexican Hat…
The extraction of cosmological parameters from microwave background observations relies on specific assumptions about the statistical properties of the data, in particular that the p-point distributions of temperature fluctuations are…
Using a semi-parametric approach based on the fourth-order Edgeworth expansion for the unknown signal distribution, we derive an explicit expression for the likelihood detection statistic in the presence of non-normally distributed…
In this paper we propose a new statistic capable of detecting non-Gaussianity in the CMB. The statistic is defined in Fourier space, and therefore naturally separates angular scales. It consists of taking another Fourier transform, in…
We investigate the power of wavelet techniques in detecting non-Gaussianity in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). We use the method to discriminate between an inflationary and a cosmic strings model using small simulated patches of the…
In this paper we pursue the origin of the non-Gaussianity determined by a bispectrum analysis of the COBE-DMR 4-year sky maps. The robustness of the statistic is demonstrated by the rebinning of the data into 12 coordinate systems. By…
In numerous applications data are observed at random times and an estimated graph of the spectral density may be relevant for characterizing and explaining phenomena. By using a wavelet analysis, one derives a nonparametric estimator of the…
We compare the latest results from CMB experiments at scales around $l_e \sim 150$ over different parts of the sky to test the hypothesis that they are drawn from a Gaussian distribution, as is usually assumed. Using both the diagonal and…
We present theoretical and observational studies of non-Gaussian fluctuations in CMB, by using the angular bispectrum and trispectrum. We predict the primary angular bispectrum from inflation, and forecast how well we can measure the…
We use statistical and topological quantities to test the COBE-DMR first year sky maps against the hypothesis that the observed temperature fluctuations reflect Gaussian initial density perturbations with random phases. Recent papers…
The spherical Mexican Hat wavelet is introduced in this paper, with the aim of testing the Gaussianity of the Cosmic Microwave Background temperature fluctuations. Using the information given by the wavelet coefficients at several scales,…
Gaussianity is the very base for derivation of the cosmological parameters from the CMB angular power spectrum. Non-Gaussian signal, whether originated from experimental error or primordial source, could mimic extra power in the power…
A directional spherical wavelet analysis is performed to examine the Gaussianity of the WMAP 1-year data. Such an analysis is facilitated by the introduction of a fast directional continuous spherical wavelet transform. The directional…
The assumption of Gaussianity of the primordial perturbations plays an important role in modern cosmology. The most direct test of this hypothesis consists in testing Gaussianity of the CMB maps. Counting the pixels with the temperatures in…
We introduce and study the distribution of an estimator for the normalized bispectrum of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropy. We use it to construct a goodness of fit statistic to test the coadded 53 and 90 GHz COBE-DMR 4 year…
We perform multi-scale non-Gaussianity detection and localization to the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) first-year data in both wavelet and real spaces. Such an analysis is facilitated by spherical wavelet transform and inverse…
In a recent Letter we have shown how COBE-DMR maps may be used to disprove Gaussianity at a high confidence level. In this report we digress on a few issues closely related to this Letter. We present the general formalism for surveying…
While the probability density function (PDF) of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) convergence field approximately follows a Gaussian distribution, primordial non-Gaussianities and small contributions from structures at low redshifts…
We introduce an exact Bayesian approach to search for non-Gaussianity of local type in Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation data. Using simulated CMB temperature maps, the newly developed technique is compared against the…