Comparing and combining the Saskatoon, QMAP and COBE CMB maps

Abstract

We present a method for comparing and combining maps with different resolutions and beam shapes, and apply it to the Saskatoon, QMAP and COBE/DMR data sets. Although the Saskatoon and QMAP maps detect signal at the 21 sigma and 40 sigma levels, respectively, their difference is consistent with pure noise, placing strong limits on possible systematic errors. In particular, we obtain quantitative upper limits on relative calibration and pointing errors. Splitting the combined data by frequency shows similar consistency between the Ka- and Q-bands, placing limits on foreground contamination. The visual agreement between the maps is equally striking. Our combined QMAP+Saskatoon map, nicknamed QMASK, is publicly available at www.hep.upenn.edu/~xuyz/qmask.html together with its 6495x6495 noise covariance matrix. This thoroughly tested data set covers a large enough area (648 square degrees -- currently the largest degree-scale map available) to allow a statistical comparison with COBE/DMR, showing good agreement.

Replaced to match accepted PRD version. 12 pages, 11 figs. Map and covariance matrix at http://www.hep.upenn.edu/~xuyz/qmask.html or from [email protected]

References in corpus (12)

• A Flat Universe from High-Resolution Maps of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
• MAXIMA-1: A Measurement of the Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy on angular scales of 10 arcminutes to 5 degrees
• First Estimations of Cosmological Parameters From BOOMERANG
• Foregrounds and Forecasts for the Cosmic Microwave Background
• Towards a refined cosmic concordance model: joint 11-parameter constraints from CMB and large-scale structure
• Current cosmological constraints from a 10 parameter CMB analysis
• Dark Energy and the CMB
• New CMB constraints on the cosmic matter budget: trouble for nucleosynthesis?
• The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
• New Constraints on inflation from the Cosmic Microwave Background
• A Comparison of The PSCz and Stromlo-APM Redshift Surveys
• Galactic contamination in the QMAP experiment

Cited by in corpus (14)

• Is cosmology consistent?
• How to measure CMB polarization power spectra without losing information
• Separating the Early Universe from the Late Universe: cosmological parameter estimation beyond the black box
• Gaussianity of Degree-Scale Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy Observations
• The QMAP and MAT/TOCO Experiments for Measuring Anisotropy in the Cosmic Microwave Background
• New CMBR data and the cosmic neutrino background
• The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Calibration with WMAP Using Cross-Correlations
• Cosmological limit on the neutrino mass
• BeyondPlanck III. Commander3
• The CMB power spectrum at l=30-200 from QMASK
• First attempt at measuring the CMB cross-polarization
• How accurately can suborbital experiments measure the CMB?
• Testing the CMB Data for Systematic Effects
• Is the Pre-WMAP CMB Data Self-consistent?