Constraints on Cosmology from the Cosmic Microwave Background Power Spectrum of the 2500 deg^2 SPT-SZ Survey

Abstract

We explore extensions to the ΛCDM cosmology using measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) from the recent SPT-SZ survey, along with data from WMAP7 and measurements of H_0 and baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO). We check for consistency within ΛCDM between these data sets, and find some tension. The CMB alone gives weak support to physics beyond ΛCDM, due to a slight trend relative to ΛCDM of decreasing power toward smaller angular scales. While it may be due to statistical fluctuation, this trend could also be explained by several extensions. We consider running of the primordial spectral index (dn_s /d ln k), as well as two extensions that modify the damping tail power (the primordial helium abundance Y_p and the effective number of neutrino species N_(eff)) and one that modifies the large-scale power due to the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect (the sum of neutrino masses ∑m_ν). These extensions have similar observational consequences and are partially degenerate when considered simultaneously. Of the six one-parameter extensions considered, we find CMB to have the largest preference for dn_s/d ln k with –0.046 < dns/d ln k < –0.003 at 95% confidence, which strengthens to a 2.7σ indication of dn_s/d ln k < 0 from CMB+BAO+H_0. Detectable dn_s/d ln k ≠ 0 is difficult to explain in the context of single-field, slow-roll inflation models. We find N_(eff) = 3.62 ± 0.48 for the CMB, which tightens to N(eff) = 3.71 ± 0.35 from CMB+BAO+H_0. Larger values of N_(eff) relieve the mild tension between CMB, BAO, and H_0. When the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich selected galaxy cluster abundances (SPT_(CL)) data are also included, we obtain N_(eff) = 3.29 ± 0.31. Allowing for ∑m_ν gives a 3.0σ detection of ∑m_ν > 0 from CMB+BAO+H_0 + SPT_(CL). The median value is (0.32 ± 0.11) eV, a factor of six above the lower bound set by neutrino oscillation observations. All data sets except H_0 show some preference for massive neutrinos; data combinations including H_0 favor nonzero masses only if BAO data are also included. We also constrain the two-parameter extensions N_(eff) + ∑m_ν and N_(eff) + Y_p to explore constraints on additional light species and big bang nucleosynthesis, respectively.

Files

Additional details