Limit on the Detectability of the Energy Scale of Inflation
Lloyd KnoxDepartment of Physics, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USAYong‐Seon SongDepartment of Physics, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, California 95616
2002en
ABI
Abstract
We show that the polarization of the cosmic microwave background can be used to detect gravity waves from inflation if the energy scale of inflation is above 2x10(15) GeV. These gravity waves generate polarization patterns with a curl, whereas (to first order in perturbation theory) density perturbations do not. The limiting "noise" arises from the second-order generation of curl from density perturbations, or rather residuals from its subtraction. We calculate optimal sky coverage and detectability limits as a function of detector sensitivity and observing time.
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Cited by 20 references