Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Estimation Of Pure B Power In Polarized Cmb Data Via Gibbs Sampling., Joseph Sterling

Honors Theses

In the search for effective processes to estimate E and B spectra from polarized data, Gibbs Sampling has proven to be a powerful method. In the search for B modes, it is essential to avoid a false positive detection due to contamination from the larger E component. It is therefore of interest to combine Gibbs sampling with methods to “purify” the B modes, ensuring that a B-mode detection is robust. This goal can be achieved by compelling the Gibbs Sampler to estimate a pure B spectrum. The method we chose to implement involves an artificially inflated E spectrum, which “forces” …