WMAP Polarization Results

Abstract

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) has mapped the full sky in Stokes I, Q, and U parameters at frequencies 23, 33, 41, 61, and 94 GHz. We detect correlations between the temperature and polarization maps significant at more than 10 standard deviations. The correlations are inconsistent with instrument noise and are significantly larger than the upper limits established for potential systematic errors. Correlations on small angualr scales are consistent with the the signal expected from adiabatic initial conditions. We detect excess power on large angular scales consistent with an early epoch of reionization. A model-independent fit to reionization optical depth yields results consistent with the best-fit LCDM model, with best fit value tau = 0.17 +/- 0.04 at 68% confidence, including systematic and foreground uncertainties.

To be published in the proceedings of "The Cosmic Microwave Background and its Polarization", New Astronomy Reviews, (eds. S. Hanany and K.A. Olive)

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• An angular power spectrum analysis of the DRAO 1.4 GHz polarization survey: implications for CMB observations
• Cosmic primordial density fluctuations and Bell inequalities