A Method to Estimate the Primordial Power Spectrum from Cosmic Microwave Background Data

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (9) References (14) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS A Method to Estimate the Primordial Power Spectrum from Cosmic Microwave Background Data Bautista, Rafael ; Torres, Sergio Abstract A precise determination of the primordial spectrum of matter density fluctuations at superhorizon scales is essential to understanding large-scale structure in the universe. Attempts to constrain or obtain the primordial spectrum using data on cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies have relied on statistical and correlation analyses that assume a power-law spectrum. We propose a method to derive P(k) directly from the CMB angular power spectrum that does not presuppose the need to know anything about its functional form. The method consists of a direct inversion of the Sachs-Wolfe formula. Using this new analysis technique and COBE data, we obtain an empirical P(k) that (1) supports a power-law parameterization and (2) has an amplitude and spectral index consistent with previous analyses of the same data. We obtain for the spectral index n = 1.52±0.4 when the second-year COBE data are used and n = 1.22±0.3 using the 4 year data set. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: September 1996 DOI: 10.1086/177752 arXiv: arXiv:astro-ph/9511071 Bibcode: 1996ApJ...469....7B Keywords: COSMOLOGY: COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND; COSMOLOGY: THEORY; COSMOLOGY: LARGE-SCALE STRUCTURE OF UNIVERSE; Astrophysics E-Print: 6 pages, Latex(with aaas macros) + 3 (uuencoded) Postscript figures revised and accepted (ApJ) version with some corrections and inclusion of COBE 4yr data. New Fig 2 and 3 , PS files attached full text sources arXiv | ADS |