Related papers: When can the Planck satellite measure spectral ind…
The recent WMAP3 results have placed measurements of the spectral index n_S in an interesting position. While parameter estimation techniques indicate that the Harrison-Zel'dovich spectrum n_S=1 is strongly excluded (in the absence of…
The Planck satellite is expected to improve the measurement of most cosmological parameters by several factors with respect to current WMAP results. The actual performance may depend upon various aspects of the data analysis. In this paper…
We consider the running of the spectral index as a probe of both inflation itself, and of the overall evolution of the very early universe. Surveying a collection of simple single field inflationary models, we confirm that the magnitude of…
We use the recent observations of Cosmic Microwave Background temperature and polarization anisotropies provided by the Planck satellite experiment to place constraints on the running $\alpha_\mathrm{s} = \mathrm{d}n_{\mathrm{s}} /…
The PLANCK satellite, scheduled for launch in 2007, will produce a set of all sky maps in nine frequency bands spanning from 30 GHz to 857 GHz, with an unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. Planets, minor bodies and diffuse…
The geometric calibration of the Planck satellite using the planetary transits is investigated, together with the reconstruction of any offsets from the nominal layout of the focal plane. The methods presented here may be applied to a…
All spectrometers rely on some mechanism to achieve spectral selectivity; common examples include gratings, prisms, and interferometers with moving mirrors. We experimentally demonstrated and validated a spectroscopic technique -- here…
We use Bayesian model selection tools to forecast the Planck satellite's ability to distinguish between different models for the reionization history of the Universe, using the large angular scale signal in the cosmic microwave background…
We describe an assembly of numerical tools to model the output data of the Planck satellite. These start with the generation of a CMB sky in a chosen cosmology, add in various foreground sources, convolve the sky signal with arbitrary, even…
Planck favours a negative running of the spectral index, with the likelihood being dominated by low multipoles $l \lesssim 50$ and no preference for running at higher $l$. A negative spectral index is also necessary for the 2-$\sigma$…
The geometric calibration of the Planck satellite is investigated, specifically those parameters which require the use of the science data for their extraction. Methods for the recovery of these geometric-calibration parameters from point…
We calculate the running of the scalar index in the ekpyrotic and matter bounce cosmological scenarios, and find that it is typically negative for ekpyrotic models, while it is typically positive for realizations of the matter bounce where…
Cosmological inflation predicts that the scalar spectral index "runs" with scale. Constraints on the values of the spectral runnings, $\alpha_s\equiv \textrm{d} n_s/\textrm{d}\ln k$ and $\beta_s\equiv \textrm{d}\alpha_s/\textrm{d}\ln k$,…
We explore in this paper the ability to constrain the Galactic magnetic field intensity and spatial distribution with the incoming data from the Planck satellite experiment. We perform realistic simulations of the Planck observations at the…
The scalar spectral index n is an important parameter describing the nature of primordial density perturbations. Recent data, including that from the WMAP satellite, shows some evidence that the index runs (changes as a function of the…
The Planck satellite provides a set of all-sky maps at nine frequencies from 30 GHz to 857 GHz. Planets, minor bodies, and diffuse interplanetary dust emission (IPD) are all observed. The IPD can be separated from Galactic and other…
Three-year data of WMAP implies not only a negative running of the spectral index with large absolute value, but also a large positive running of running of the spectral index with order of the magnitude $10^{-2}$. We calculate the running…
The WMAP results on the scalar spectral index n and its running with scale, though preliminary, open a very interesting window to physics at very high energies. We address the problem of finding simple inflaton potentials well motivated by…
Clock-comparison experiments using a satellite platform can give Planck-scale sensitivity to many parameters for Lorentz and CPT violation that are difficult to measure on Earth. A discussion of the theoretical framework for such tests is…
The European Space Agency's Planck satellite was launched on 14 May 2009, and has been surveying the sky stably and continuously since 13 August 2009. Its performance is well in line with expectations, and it will continue to gather…