Planck is a ESA satellite, currently in operation, whose main objective is to accurately image the anisotropies of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation in intensity and polarization. Benefiting from an unprecedented combination of sensitivity, angular resolution, and frequency leverage, Planck will provide high quality data to be mined in cosmology and astrophysics. The first Planck results have been released in January 2011 and include both Galactic and extragalactic source catalogues, a list of galaxy clusters selected by the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect, and a cold cores catalogue. The first cosmological data products are awaited for early 2013. Planck has a wide list of scientific targets. Here we focus on one specific aspect which is also of interest to the high energy physics community: constraining the Parity and CPT symmetries through CMB datasets. We describe the basic formalism, the relevant estimators and the overall analysis strategy. We provide marginal evidence for large scale Parity anomaly in the WMAP data that may be soon confirmed or discarded by the Planck satellite. Planck is currently measuring CMB anisotropies and their polarization with a level of precision that will remain unparalleled for many years to come. We also show how the CMB can be used to constrain fundamental symmetry violations in the photon sector through the so-called cosmological birefringence phenomenon.
The Planck mission: From first results to cosmology
NATOLI, Paolo;
2012
Abstract
Planck is a ESA satellite, currently in operation, whose main objective is to accurately image the anisotropies of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation in intensity and polarization. Benefiting from an unprecedented combination of sensitivity, angular resolution, and frequency leverage, Planck will provide high quality data to be mined in cosmology and astrophysics. The first Planck results have been released in January 2011 and include both Galactic and extragalactic source catalogues, a list of galaxy clusters selected by the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect, and a cold cores catalogue. The first cosmological data products are awaited for early 2013. Planck has a wide list of scientific targets. Here we focus on one specific aspect which is also of interest to the high energy physics community: constraining the Parity and CPT symmetries through CMB datasets. We describe the basic formalism, the relevant estimators and the overall analysis strategy. We provide marginal evidence for large scale Parity anomaly in the WMAP data that may be soon confirmed or discarded by the Planck satellite. Planck is currently measuring CMB anisotropies and their polarization with a level of precision that will remain unparalleled for many years to come. We also show how the CMB can be used to constrain fundamental symmetry violations in the photon sector through the so-called cosmological birefringence phenomenon.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
