Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Detection of B-mode polarization in the cosmic microwave background with data from the south pole telescope

  • D. Hanson
  • , S. Hoover
  • , A. Crites
  • , P. A.R. Ade
  • , K. A. Aird
  • , J. E. Austermann
  • , J. A. Beall
  • , A. N. Bender
  • , B. A. Benson
  • , L. E. Bleem
  • , J. J. Bock
  • , J. E. Carlstrom
  • , C. L. Chang
  • , H. C. Chiang
  • , H. M. Cho
  • , A. Conley
  • , T. M. Crawford
  • , T. De Haan
  • , M. A. Dobbs
  • , W. Everett
  • J. Gallicchio, J. Gao, E. M. George, N. W. Halverson, N. Harrington, J. W. Henning, G. C. Hilton, G. P. Holder, W. L. Holzapfel, J. D. Hrubes, N. Huang, J. Hubmayr, K. D. Irwin, R. Keisler, L. Knox, A. T. Lee, E. Leitch, D. Li, C. Liang, D. Luong-Van, G. Marsden, J. J. McMahon, J. Mehl, S. S. Meyer, L. Mocanu, T. E. Montroy, T. Natoli, J. P. Nibarger, V. Novosad, S. Padin, C. Pryke, C. L. Reichardt, J. E. Ruhl, B. R. Saliwanchik, J. T. Sayre, K. K. Schaffer, B. Schulz, G. Smecher, A. A. Stark, K. T. Story, C. Tucker, K. Vanderlinde, J. D. Vieira, M. P. Viero, G. Wang, V. Yefremenko, O. Zahn, M. Zemcov

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Gravitational lensing of the cosmic microwave background generates a curl pattern in the observed polarization. This "B-mode" signal provides a measure of the projected mass distribution over the entire observable Universe and also acts as a contaminant for the measurement of primordial gravity-wave signals. In this Letter we present the first detection of gravitational lensing B modes, using first-season data from the polarization-sensitive receiver on the South Pole Telescope (SPTpol). We construct a template for the lensing B-mode signal by combining E-mode polarization measured by SPTpol with estimates of the lensing potential from a Herschel-SPIRE map of the cosmic infrared background. We compare this template to the B modes measured directly by SPTpol, finding a nonzero correlation at 7.7σ significance. The correlation has an amplitude and scale dependence consistent with theoretical expectations, is robust with respect to analysis choices, and constitutes the first measurement of a powerful cosmological observable.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number141301
JournalPhysical review letters
Volume111
Issue number14
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 30 2013

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Detection of B-mode polarization in the cosmic microwave background with data from the south pole telescope'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this