Finite recombination thickness introduces Gaussian smoothing in ln k to the primordial power spectrum, producing non-trivial differences between TT and EE spectral indices that may be detectable in future CMB data.
Inflation and WMAP three year data: Features have a Future!
2 Pith papers cite this work. Polarity classification is still indexing.
2
Pith papers citing it
abstract
The new three year WMAP data seem to confirm the presence of non-standard large scale features in the Cosmic Microwave Anisotropies power spectrum. While these features may hint at uncorrected experimental systematics, it is also possible to generate, in a cosmological way, oscillations on large angular scales by introducing a sharp step in the inflaton potential. Using current cosmological data, we derive constraints on the position, magnitude and gradient of a possible step. We show that a step in the inflaton potential, while strongly constrained by current data, is still allowed and may provide an interesting explanation to the currently measured deviations from the standard featureless spectrum. Moreover, we show that inflationary oscillations in the primordial power spectrum can significantly bias parameter estimates from standard ruler methods involving measurements of baryon oscillations.
fields
astro-ph.CO 2years
2026 2representative citing papers
Non-parametric knot-based reconstruction of the primordial power spectrum P_R(k) from BOSS+eBOSS data up to k=0.3 h/Mpc favors a quasi-scale-invariant power law and constrains n_s = 0.976 ± 0.021 with no evidence for primordial features.
citing papers explorer
-
Recombination Thickness as an Uncertainty in Inflationary Observables
Finite recombination thickness introduces Gaussian smoothing in ln k to the primordial power spectrum, producing non-trivial differences between TT and EE spectral indices that may be detectable in future CMB data.
-
Primordial power spectrum reconstructions from BOSS + eBOSS
Non-parametric knot-based reconstruction of the primordial power spectrum P_R(k) from BOSS+eBOSS data up to k=0.3 h/Mpc favors a quasi-scale-invariant power law and constrains n_s = 0.976 ± 0.021 with no evidence for primordial features.