PIRSA:12120034

A robust constraint on cosmic textures from the cosmic microwave background

Feeney, S. (2012). A robust constraint on cosmic textures from the cosmic microwave background. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/12120034

Feeney, Stephen. A robust constraint on cosmic textures from the cosmic microwave background. Perimeter Institute, Dec. 11, 2012, https://pirsa.org/12120034 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:12120034,
            doi = {10.48660/12120034},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/12120034},
            author = {Feeney, Stephen},
            keywords = {Cosmology},
            language = {en},
            title = {A robust constraint on cosmic textures from the cosmic microwave background},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2012},
            month = {dec},
            note = {PIRSA:12120034 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Stephen Feeney

Talk numberPIRSA:12120034
DOI10.48660/12120034
Collection
Talk Type Scientific Series
Subject

Abstract

Fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) contain information which has been pivotal in establishing the current cosmological model. These data can also be used to test well-motivated additions to this model, such as cosmic textures. Textures are a type of topological defect that can be produced during a cosmological phase transition in the early universe, and which leave characteristic hot and cold spots in the CMB. We apply Bayesian methods to carry out an optimal test of the texture hypothesis, using full-sky data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. We conclude that current data do not warrant augmenting the standard cosmological model with textures. We rule out at 95% confidence models that predict more than 6 detectable cosmic textures on the full sky.