Large Angular Scale CMB Anisotropy Induced by Cosmic Strings

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Date

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Abstract

Description

We simulate the anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) induced by cosmic strings. By numerically evolving a network of cosmic strings we generate full-sky CMB temperature anisotropy maps. Based on $192$ maps, we compute the anisotropy power spectrum for multipole moments $\ell \le 20$. By comparing with the observed temperature anisotropy, we set the normalization for the cosmic string mass-per-unit-length $μ$, obtaining $Gμ/c^2=1.05 {}^{+0.35}_{-0.20} \times10^{-6}$, which is consistent with all other observational constraints on cosmic strings. We demonstrate that the anisotropy pattern is consistent with a Gaussian random field on large angular scales.
4 pages, RevTeX, two postscript files, also available at http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/defects/ to appear in Physical Review Letters, 23 September 1996

Citation

Collections