Planck intermediate results: XLIX. Parity-violation constraints from polarization data

Parity-violating extensions of the standard electromagnetic theory cause in vacuo rotation of the plane of polarization of propagating photons. This effect, also known as cosmic birefringence, has an impact on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy angular power spectra, producing non-vani...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin) 2016-12, Vol.596, p.A110
Main Authors: Aghanim, N, Ashdown, M, Aumont, J, Baccigalupi, C, Ballardini, M, Banday, A J, Barreiro, R B, Bartolo, N, Basak, S, Benabed, K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anisotropy
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
Astrophysics
cosmic background radiation
Cosmic microwave background
cosmological parameters
Cosmology and Extra-Galactic Astrophysics
cosmology: observations
Harmonics
methods: data analysis
methods: statistical
Parity
Photons
Physics
Polarization
Sciences of the Universe
Stacking
Uncertainty
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Parity-violating extensions of the standard electromagnetic theory cause in vacuo rotation of the plane of polarization of propagating photons. This effect, also known as cosmic birefringence, has an impact on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy angular power spectra, producing non-vanishing T-B and E-B correlations that are otherwise null when parity is a symmetry. Here we present new constraints on an isotropic rotation, parametrized by the angle [alpha], derived from Planck 2015 CMB polarization data. To increase the robustness of our analyses, we employ two complementary approaches, in harmonic space and in map space, the latter based on a peak stacking technique. The two approaches provide estimates for [alpha] that are in agreement within statistical uncertainties and are very stable against several consistency tests.Considering the T-B and E-B information jointly, we find [alpha]=0[degrees].31 + or - 0[degrees].05 (stat.) + or - 0[degrees].28 (syst.) from [alpha] = 0[degrees].35 + or - 0[degrees].05 (stat.) + or - 0[degrees].28 (syst.) from the stacking approach. These constraints are compatible with no parity violation and are dominated by the systematic uncertainty in the orientation of Planck's polarization-sensitive bolometers.
ISSN:0004-6361
1432-0746
1432-0746
1432-0756
DOI:10.1051/0004-6361/201629018