Polarization predictions for inflationary CMB power spectrum features

Abstract

We conduct a model-independent analysis of temporal features during inflation in the large-scale CMB temperature power spectrum allowing for the possibility of non-negligible tensor contributions. Of 20 principal components of the inflationary history, the suppression of power at low multipoles beginning with a glitch at multipoles $\ell \sim 20-40$ implies deviations in 2-3 of them with 2-3$\sigma$ deviations in each, with larger values reflecting cases where tensors are allowed.If tensors are absent, the corresponding $E$-mode polarization features follow a similar pattern but are predicted to be up to twice as large. They offer the opportunity to soon double the significance of inflationary features or eliminate them as an explanation of temperature features. The tensor degeneracy with features in the temperature power spectrum is broken not only by $B$ but also by $E$-polarization. A precision measurement of $E$-mode polarization at multipoles from $\ell\sim 20-60$ can potentially provide an independent constraint on tensors that is less subject to dust foreground uncertainties.