Reconstructing the primordial power spectrum from the CMB

Abstract

We propose a straightforward and model independent methodology for characterizing the sensitivity of CMB and other experiments to wiggles, irregularities, and features in the primordial power spectrum. Assuming that the primordial cosmological perturbations are adiabatic, we present a function space generalization of the usual Fisher matrix formalism, applied to a CMB experiment resembling Planck with and without ancillary data. This work is closely related to other work on recovering the inflationary potential and exploring specific models of non-minimal, or perhaps baroque, primordial power spectra. The approach adopted here, however, most directly expresses what the data is really telling us. We explore in detail the structure of the available information and quantify exactly what features can be reconstructed and at what statistical significance.

43 pages Revtex, 23 figures

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• Light Sterile Neutrinos and Inflationary Freedom
• Constraints on features in the inflationary potential from future Euclid data
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• Spectral Distortion Signatures of Step-like Inflationary Potential
• Bayesian inference methodology for Primordial Power Spectrum reconstructions from Large Scale Structure
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• J-PAS: forecast on the primordial power spectrum reconstruction