Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2006-11-13
Astrophys.J.665:55-66,2007
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
12 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables; ApJ published
Scientific paper
10.1086/518112
We present results from and the analysis of data from MAXIPOL, a balloon-borne experiment designed to measure the polarization in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). MAXIPOL is the first CMB experiment to obtain results using a rotating half-wave plate as a rapid polarization modulator. We report results from observations of a sky area of 8 deg^2 with 10-arcmin resolution, providing information up to l~700. We use a maximum-likelihood method to estimate maps of the Q and U Stokes parameters from the demodulated time streams, and then both Bayesian and frequentist approaches to compute the EE, EB, and BB power spectra. Detailed formalisms of the analyses are given. A variety of tests show no evidence for systematic errors. The Bayesian analysis gives weak evidence for an EE signal. The EE power is 55^{+51}_{-45} \mu K^2 at the 68% confidence level for l=151-693. Its likelihood function is asymmetric and skewed positive such that with a uniform prior the probability of a positive EE power is 96%. The powers of EB and BB signals at the 68% confidence level are 18^{+27}_{-34} \mu K^2 and -31^{+31}_{-19} \mu K^2 respectively and thus consistent with zero. The upper limit of the BB-mode at the 95% confidence level is 9.5 \mu K. Results from the frequentist approach are in agreement within statistical errors. These results are consistent with the current concordance LCDM model.
Abroe Matthew Edmund
Ade Peter A. R.
Bock James Joseph
Borrill Julian
Collins James J.
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