Abstract
The recent indications for a tensor-to-scalar ratio r≃0.2 from BICEP2 measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-mode polarization present some tension with upper limits r0.1 from measurements of CMB temperature fluctuations. Here we point out that tensor perturbations can induce B modes in the CMB polarization without inducing any temperature fluctuations nor E-mode polarization whatsoever, but only at the expense of violating the Copernican principle. We present this mathematical possibility as a new ingredient for the model-builder's toolkit in case the tension between B modes and temperature fluctuations cannot be resolved with more conventional ideas.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Article number | 107302 |
Journal | Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology |
Volume | 89 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 13 2014 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Nuclear and High Energy Physics
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)