Implications of the cosmic background imager polarization data

Abstract

We present new measurements of the power spectra of the E mode of cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization, the temperature T, the cross-correlation of E and T, and upper limits on the B mode from 2.5 yr of dedicated Cosmic Background Imager (CBI) observations. Both raw maps and optimal signal images in the (u, v)plane and the sky plane show strong detections of the E mode (11.7 sigma for the EE power spectrum overall) and no detection of the B mode. The power spectra are used to constrain parameters of the flat tilted adiabatic Lambda CDM models: those determined from EE and TE bandpowers agree with those from TT, which is a powerful consistency check. There is little tolerance for shifting polarization peaks from the TT-forecast locations, as measured by the angular sound crossing scale theta = 100/ ls = 1.03 +/- 0.02 from EE and TE; compare with 1.044 +/- 0: 005 with the TT data included. The scope for extra out- of- phase peaks from subdominant isocurvature modes is also curtailed. The EE and TE measurements of CBI, DASI, and BOOMERANG are mutually consistent and, taken together rather than singly, give enhanced leverage for these tests.