Interacting dark energy models are widely renowned for giving an explanation to the cosmic coincidence problem as well as several observational issues. According to the recent observational data, and so far we are concerned with the literature, the choice of the interaction function between dark matter and dark energy is always questionable since there is no such underlying theory that could derive it. Thus, in this work we have raised this issue by proposing two new nonlinear interaction functions and constrain them using cosmic microwave background (CMB) from Planck 2018, baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO), dark energy survey and a measurement of the Hubble constant $H_0$ from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) 2019. The dark energy equation of state is considered to be constant throughout the work and the geometry of the universe is assumed to be homogeneous and isotropic with zero spatial curvature. Our analyses report that a non-zero interaction is always allowed by the observational data and the dark energy equation of state is bent towards the phantom regime. In particular, when $H_0$ from HST is added to Planck 2018+BAO, we find an evidence for a non-zero coupling at more than $2σ$ confidence level. Our analyses also report that for both the models, $H_0$ is close to its local measurements and thus alleviating the $H_0$ tension. In particular, one of the interacting models perfectly solves the $H_0$ tension.
Testing deviations from the $Λ$CDM model using the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) power spectra requires a pristine understanding of instrumental systematics. In this work we discuss the properties of a new observable ${\cal R}^{TE}_{\ell}$, the correlation coefficient of temperature and E modes. We find that this observable is mostly unaffected by systematics introducing multiplicative biases such as errors in calibration, polarisation efficiency, beam and transfer function measurements. We discuss the dependency of this observable on the cosmological model and derive its statistical prope…
We present a CMB large-scale polarization dataset obtained by combining WMAP Ka, Q and V with Planck 70 GHz maps. We employ the legacy frequency maps released by the WMAP and Planck collaborations and perform our own Galactic foreground mitigation technique, which relies on Planck 353 GHz for polarized dust and on Planck 30 GHz and WMAP K for polarized synchrotron. We derive a single, optimally-noise-weighted, low-residual-foreground map and the accompanying noise covariance matrix. These are shown, through $χ^2$ analysis, to be robust over an ample collection of Galactic masks. We use this da…
We investigate the recently introduced metastable dark energy (DE) models after the final Planck 2018 legacy release. The essence of the present work is to analyze their evolution at the level of perturbations. Our analyses show that both the metastable dark energy models considered in this article, are excellent candidates to alleviate the $H_0$ tension. In particular, for the present models, Planck 2018 alone can alleviate the $H_0$ tension within 68\% CL. Along with the final cosmic microwave background data from the Planck 2018 legacy release, we also include external cosmological datasets…
We present a brief review of the main results of the Planck 2015 release describing the new calibration of the data, showing the maps delivered in temperature and, for the first time, in polarization, the cosmological parameters and the lensing potential. In addition we present a forecast of the Galactic foregrounds in polarization. Future satellite experiments will have the challenge to remove the foregrounds with great accuracy to be able to measure a tensor-to-scalar ratio of less than 0.01.
We present a reproduction of the Planck 2018 angular power spectra at $\ell > 30$, and associated covariance matrices, for intensity and polarization maps at 100, 143 and 217 GHz. This uses a new, publicly available, pipeline that is part of the PSpipe package. As a test case we use the same input maps, ancillary products, and analysis choices as in the Planck 2018 analysis, and find that we can reproduce the spectra to 0.1$σ$ precision, and the covariance matrices to 10%. We show that cosmological parameters estimated from our re-derived products agree with the public Planck products to 0.1$σ…
There is an apparent tension between cosmological parameters obtained from {\it Planck} cosmic microwave background radiation observations and that derived from the observed magnitude-redshift relation for the type Ia supernova (SNe Ia). Here, we show that the tension can be alleviated, if we first calibrate, with the help of the distance-duality relation, the light-curve fitting parameters in the distance estimation in SNe Ia observations with the angular diameter distance data of the galaxy clusters and then re-estimate the distances for the SNe Ia with the corrected fitting parameters. This…
This paper describes an improved mapmaking approach with respect to the one used for the Planck High Frequency Instrument 2018 Legacy release. The algorithm SRoll2 better corrects the known instrumental effects that still affected mostly the polarized large-angular-scale data by distorting the signal, and/or leaving residuals observable in null tests. The main systematic effect is the nonlinear response of the onboard analog-to-digital convertors that was cleaned in the Planck HFI Legacy release as an empirical time-varying linear detector chain response which is the first-order effect. The SR…
In this article we compare a variety of well known dynamical dark energy models using the cosmic microwave background measurements from the 2018 Planck legacy and 2015 Planck data releases, the baryon acoustic oscillations measurements and the local measurements of $H_0$ obtained by the SH0ES (Supernovae, $H_0$, for the Equation of State of Dark energy) collaboration analysing the Hubble Space Telescope data. We discuss the alleviation of $H_0$ tension, that is obtained at the price of a phantom-like dark energy equation of state. We perform a Bayesian evidence analysis to quantify the improve…
Planck-2015 data seem to favour a large value of the lensing amplitude parameter, $A_{\rm L}=1.22\pm0.10$, in CMB spectra. This result is in $2σ$ tension with the lensing reconstruction result, $A_{\rm L}^{ϕϕ}=0.95\pm0.04$. In this paper, we simulate several CMB anisotropy and CMB lensing spectra based on Planck-2015 best-fit cosmological parameter values and Planck blue book beam and noise specifications. We analyse several modified gravity models within the effective field theory framework against these simulations and find that models whose effective Newton constant is enhanced can modulate…
We present new constraints on extended cosmological scenarios using the recent data from the Planck 2018 Legacy release. In addition to the six parameters of the standard LCDM model, we also simultaneously vary the dark energy equation of state, the neutrino mass, the neutrino effective number, the running of the spectral index and the lensing amplitude $A_L$. We confirm that a resolution of the Hubble tension is given by a dark energy equation of state with w<-1, ruling out quintessence models at high statistical significance. This solution is, however, not supported by BAO and Pantheon data.…
We analyze the final release of the Planck satellite data to constrain the gravitational lensing potential in a model-independent manner. The amount of lensing determined from the smoothing of the acoustic peaks in the temperature and polarization power spectra is 2$σ$ too high when compared with the measurements using the lensing reconstruction and 2.8$σ$ too high when compared with $Λ$CDM expectation based on the "unlensed" portion of the temperature and polarization power spectra. The largest change from the previous data release is the $Λ$CDM expectation, driven by improved constraints to …
Certain anomalies in the CMB bring out a tension between the six-parameter flat $Λ$CDM model and the CMB data. We revisit the PLANCK analysis with loop quantum cosmology (LQC) predictions and show that LQC alleviates both the large-scale power anomaly and the tension in the lensing amplitude. These differences arise because, in LQC, the primordial power spectrum is scale dependent for small $k$, with a specific power suppression. We conclude with a prediction of larger optical depth and power suppression in the $B$-mode polarization power spectrum on large scales.
JWST high redshift galaxy observations predict a higher star formation efficiency than the standard cosmology does, which poses a new tension to $Λ$CDM. We find that the situation is worse than expected. The true situation is that the Planck CMB measurement has a strong tension with JWST high redshift galaxy observations. Specifically, we make a trial to alleviate this tension by considering alternative cosmological models including dark matter-baryon interaction, $f(R)$ gravity and dynamical dark energy. Within current cosmological constraints from Planck-2018 CMB data, we find that these mod…
The overall cosmological parameter tension between the Atacama Cosmology Telescope 2020 (ACT) and Planck 2018 data within the concordance cosmological model is quantified using the suspiciousness statistic to be 2.6$σ$. Between ACT and the South Pole Telescope (SPT) we find a tension of 2.4$σ$, and 2.8$σ$ between ACT and Planck+SPT combined. While it is unclear whether the tension is caused by statistical fluctuations, systematic effects or new physics, caution should be exercised in combining these cosmic microwave background datasets in the context of the $Λ$CDM standard model of the univers…
We develop two parallel machine-learning pipelines to estimate the contribution of cosmic strings (CSs), conveniently encoded in their tension ($Gμ$), to the anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background radiation observed by {\it Planck}. The first approach is tree-based and feeds on certain map features derived by image processing and statistical tools. The second uses convolutional neural network with the goal to explore possible non-trivial features of the CS imprints. The two pipelines are trained on {\it Planck} simulations and when applied to {\it Planck} \texttt{SMICA} map yield the …
The curvature parameter tension between Planck 2018, cosmic microwave background lensing, and baryon acoustic oscillation data is measured using the suspiciousness statistic to be 2.5 to 3$σ$. Conclusions regarding the spatial curvature of the universe which stem from the combination of these data should therefore be viewed with suspicion. Without CMB lensing or BAO, Planck 2018 has a moderate preference for closed universes, with Bayesian betting odds of over 50:1 against a flat universe, and over 2000:1 against an open universe.
The well-known tensions on the cosmological parameters $H_0$ and $σ_8$ within the $Λ$CDM cosmology shown by the Planck-CMB and LSS data are possibly due to the systematics in the data or our ignorance of some new physics beyond the $Λ$CDM model. In this letter, we focus on the second possibility, and investigate a minimal extension of the $Λ$CDM model by allowing a coupling between its dark sector components (dark energy and dark matter). We analyze this scenario with Planck-CMB, KiDS and HST data, and find that the $H_0$ and $σ_8$ tensions disappear at 68\% CL. In the joint analyzes with Plan…
We analyze the claimed tension between redshift space distorsions measurements of $f(z)σ_8(z)$ and the predictions of standard $Λ$CDM (Planck 2015 and 2018) cosmology. We consider a dataset consisting of 17 data points extending up to redshift $z=1.52$ and corrected for the Alcock-Paczynski effect. Thus, calculating the evolution of the growth factor in a $w$CDM cosmology, we find that the tension for the best fit parameters $w$, $Ω_m$ and $σ_8$ with respect to the Planck 2018 $Λ$CDM parameters is below $2σ$ in all the marginalized confidence regions.
We apply a recently developed method to directly measure the gravitational lensing power spectrum from CMB power spectra to the Planck satellite data. This method allows us to analyze the tension between the temperature power spectrum and lens reconstruction in a model independent way. Even when allowing for arbitrary variations in the lensing power spectrum, the tension remains at the 2.4$σ$ level. By separating the lensing and unlensed high redshift information in the CMB power spectra, we also show that under $Λ$CDM the two are in tension at a similar level whereas the unlensed information …
Consistency between cosmological data sets is essential for ongoing and future cosmological analyses. We first investigate the questions of stability and applicability of some moment-based inconsistency measures to multiple data sets. We show that the recently introduced index of inconsistency (IOI) is numerically stable while it can be applied to multiple data sets. We use an illustrative construction of constraints as well as an example with real data sets (i.e. WMAP versus Planck) to show some limitations of the application of the Karhunen-Loeve decomposition to discordance measures. Second…
We show the possibility that the observational results of the primordial gravitational waves from Planck and BICEP2 for the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ can be reconciled when an early dark energy was included. This early dark energy behaves like a radiation component at very early epoch. This is equivalent to induce additional number of effective neutrino species: $ΔN_{eff}=[\frac{7}{8}(\frac{4}{11})^{4/3}]^{-1}ρ_{de}(a)/ρ_γ(a)$, where $ρ_γ(a)$ is the photon energy density and the numerical factors arise from converting to effective neutrino species. And $ρ_{de}(a)$ is the energy density of ear…
An important route to testing General Relativity (GR) at cosmological scales is usually done by constraining modified gravity (MG) parameters added to the Einstein perturbed equations. Most studies have analyzed so far constraints on pairs of MG parameters, but here, we explore constraints on one parameter at a time while fixing the other at its GR value. This allows us to analyze various models while benefiting from a stronger constraining power from the data. We also explore which specific datasets are in tension with GR. We find that models with ($μ=1$, $η$) and ($μ$, $η=1$) exhibit a 3.9-$…
We examine the recent proposal [1] that the anti-cross-correlation of the scalar and tensor primordial fluctuations reconciles the tension between BICEP2 and Planck observations. We show that unfortunately the contribution from the scalar-tensor correlation to the CMB temperature power spectrum vanishes once summed over the angular mode $m$ so the tension between BICEP2 and Planck can not be reconciled. The reason is that one has to use the spin-weighted spherical harmonics when projecting fields with nonzero spins into the CMB sky. These nonzero spin-weighted spherical harmonics are subject t…
Planck measurements of the cosmic microwave background power spectra find a lower value of the Hubble constant $H_0$ and a higher value of the fractional matter energy density $Ω_{m0}$ for the concordance $Λ$CDM model, and these results are in tension with other measurements. The {\em Planck} group argued that the tension came either from some sources of unknown systematic errors in some astrophysical measurements or the wrong $Λ$CDM model applied in fitting the data. We studied the reason for the tension on $H_0$ from different measurements by considering two dynamical dark energy models. We …
Measurements of $σ_8$ from large scale structure observations show a discordance with the extrapolated $σ_8$ from Planck CMB parameters using $Λ$CDM cosmology. Similar discordance is found in the value of $H_0$ and $Ω_m$. In this paper, we show that the presence of viscosity in cold dark matter, shear or bulk or combination of both, can remove the above mentioned conflicts simultaneously. This indicates that the data from Planck CMB observation and different LSS observations prefer small but non-zero amount of viscosity in cold dark matter fluid.
The recent measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies provided by the Planck satellite experiment have significantly improved the constraints on several cosmological parameters. In this brief paper we point out a small but interesting tension present between recent values of the primordial deuterium measured from quasar absorption line systems and the same value inferred, albeit indirectly, from the Planck measurements assuming ΛCDM and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. Here we discuss this tension in detail investigating the possible new physics that could be responsible for the ten…
The precise measurements of Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy angular power spectra made by the Planck satellite show an anomalous value for the lensing amplitude, defined by the parameter $A_{lens}$, at more than $2$ standard deviations. In this paper, after discussing the current status of the anomaly, we quantify the potential of future CMB measurements in confirming/falsifying the $A_{lens}$ tension. We find that a space-based experiment as LiteBIRD could falsify the current $A_{lens}$ tension at the level of $5$ standard deviations. Similar constraints can be achieved by a Stage-III …
The recent BICEP2 measurement of primordial gravity waves (r = 0.2^{+0.07}_{-0.05}) appears to be in tension with the upper limit from WMAP (r<0.13 at 95% CL) and Planck (r<0.11 at 95% CL). We carefully quantify the level of tension and show that it is very significant (around 0.1% unlikely) when the observed deficit of large-scale temperature power is taken into account. We show that measurements of TE and EE power spectra in the near future will discriminate between the hypotheses that this tension is either a statistical fluke, or a sign of new physics. We also discuss extensions of the sta…
We study the global agreement between the most recent observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background temperature and polarization anisotropies angular power spectra released by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and the Planck satellite in various cosmological models that differ by the inclusion of different combinations of additional parameters. By using the Suspiciousness statistic, we show that the global "CMB tension" between the two experiments, quantified at the Gaussian equivalent level of $\sim 2.5\,σ$ within the baseline $Λ$CDM, is reduced at the level of $1.8σ$ when the effective numbe…
We use the latest Planck constraints, and in particular constraints on the derived parameters (Hubble constant and age of the Universe) for the local universe and compare them with local measurements of the same quantities. We propose a way to quantify whether cosmological parameters constraints from two different experiments are in tension or not. Our statistic, T, is an evidence ratio and therefore can be interpreted with the widely used Jeffrey's scale. We find that in the framework of the LCDM model, the Planck inferred two dimensional, joint, posterior distribution for the Hubble constant…
Non-Gaussianity in the primordial fluctuations that seeded structure formation produces a signal in the galaxy power spectrum on very large scales. This signal contains vital information about the primordial Universe, but it is very challenging to extract, because of cosmic variance and large-scale systematics - especially after the Planck experiment has already ruled out a large amplitude for the signal. Cosmic variance and experimental systematics can be alleviated by the multi-tracer method. Here we address another systematic - introduced by not using the correct relativistic analysis of th…
We constrain interacting dark matter and dark energy (IDMDE) models using a 450-degree-square cosmic shear data from the Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS) and the angular power spectra from Planck's latest cosmic microwave background measurements. We revisit the discordance problem in the standard Lambda cold dark matter ($Λ$CDM) model between weak lensing and Planck datasets and extend the discussion by introducing interacting dark sectors. The IDMDE models are found to be able to alleviate the discordance between KiDS and Planck as previously inferred from the $Λ$CDM model, and moderately favored by…
We investigate correlations induced by gravitational lensing on simulated cosmic microwave background data of experiments with an incomplete sky coverage and their effect on inferences from the South Pole Telescope data. These correlations agree well with the theoretical expectations, given by the sum of super-sample and intra-sample lensing terms, with only a typically negligible $\sim$ 5% discrepancy in the amplitude of the super-sample lensing effect. Including these effects we find that lensing constraints are in $3.0σ$ or $2.1σ$ tension between the SPT polarization measurements and Planck…
The apparent discrepancy between the value of the tensor-to-scalar ratio reported by the BICEP2 collaboration, $r = 0.20^{+0.07}_{-0.05}$ at 68% CL, and the Planck upper limit, $r < 0.11$ at 95% CL, has attracted a great deal of attention. In this short note, we show that this discrepancy is mainly due to an `apples to oranges' comparison. The result reported by BICEP2 was measured at a pivot scale $k_* = 0.05$ Mpc$^{-1}$, assuming $n_t = 0$, whereas the Planck limit was provided at $k_* = 0.002$ Mpc$^{-1}$, assuming the slow-roll consistency relation $n_t = -r/8$. One should obviously compare…
We propose a new intuitive metric for evaluating the tension between two experiments, and apply it to several data sets. While our metric is non-optimal, if evidence of tension is detected, this evidence is robust and easy to interpret. Assuming a flat $Λ$CDM cosmological model, we find that there is a modest $2.2σ$ tension between the DES Year 1 results and the ${\it Planck}$ measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). This tension is driven by the difference between the amount of structure observed in the late-time Universe and that predicted from fitting the ${\it Planck}$ data, …
A large inflationary tensor-to-scalar ratio $r_\mathrm{0.002} = 0.20^{+0.07}_{-0.05}$ is reported by the BICEP2 team based on their B-mode polarization detection, which is outside of the $95\%$ confidence level of the Planck best fit model. We explore several possible ways to reduce the tension between the two by considering a model in which $α_\mathrm{s}$, $n_\mathrm{t}$, $n_\mathrm{s}$ and the neutrino parameters $N_\mathrm{eff}$ and $Σm_\mathrmν$ are set as free parameters. Using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique to survey the complete parameter space with and without the BICEP2…
We examine the internal consistency of the Planck 2015 cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropy power spectrum. We show that tension exists between cosmological constant cold dark matter (LCDM) model parameters inferred from multipoles l<1000 (roughly those accessible to Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe), and from l>=1000, particularly the CDM density, Omega_ch^2, which is discrepant at 2.5 sigma for a Planck-motivated prior on the optical depth, tau=0.07+/-0.02. We find some parameter tensions to be larger than previously reported because of inaccuracy in the code used by …
We perform a Fisher matrix calculation of the predicted uncertainties on estimates of the cosmic string tension Gmu from upcoming observational data (namely, cosmic microwave background power spectra from the Planck satellite and an idealized future polarization experiment). We employ simulations that are more general than others commonly used in the literature, leaving the mean velocity of strings, correlation length of the string network, and "wiggliness" (which parametrizes smaller-scale structure along the strings) as free parameters that can be observationally measured. In a new code, Str…
Resolving the Planck-DESI tension by nonminimally coupled quintessence
Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)（中国科学院理论物理研究所）；University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS)（中国科学院大学）；Institute of Fundamental Physics and Quantum Technology, Ningbo University（宁波大学基础物理与量子技术学院）；School of Fundamental Physics and Mathematical Sciences, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学杭州高等研究院基础物理与数学科学学院）；Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP)（亚太理论物理中心）
In a recent paper, we investigated possible systematic uncertainties related to the Cepheid color-luminosity calibration method and their influence on the tension between the Hubble constant as inferred from distances to Type Ia supernovae and the cosmic microwave background as measured with the Planck satellite. Here, we study the impact of other sources of uncertainty in the supernova distance ladder, including Cepheid temperature and metallicity variations, supernova magnitudes and GAIA parallax distances. Using Cepheid data in 19 Type Ia supernova host galaxies from Riess et al (2016), anc…
We discuss various examples and ramifications of the conjecture that there exists a maximum force (or tension) in general relativistic systems. We contrast this situation with that in Newtonian gravity, where no maximum force exists, and relate it to the existence of natural units defined by constants of Nature and the fact that the Planck units of force and power do not depend on Planck's constant. We discuss how these results change in higher dimensions where the Planck units of force are no longer non-quantum. We discuss the changes that might occur to the conjecture if a positive cosmologi…
We construct an updated and extended compilation of growth rate data consisting of 34 points and including corrections for model dependence. In order to maximize the independence of the datapoints we also construct a subsample of this compilation (`Gold' growth dataset) which consists of 18 datapoints. We test the consistency of this dataset with the best fit Planck15/$Λ$CDM parameters in the context of General Relativity (GR) using the evolution equation for the growth factor $δ(a)$ with a $w$CDM background. We find tension at the $\sim 3 σ$ level between the best fit parameters $w$ (the dark…
The $E_G$ statistic is a powerful probe for detecting deviations from GR by combining weak lensing (WL), real-space clustering and redshift space distortion (RSD) measurements thus probing both the lensing and the growth effective Newton constants ($G_L$ and $G_{eff}$). We construct an up to date compilation of $E_G$ statistic data including both redshift and scale dependence ($E_G(R,z)$). We combine this $E_G$ data compilation with an up to date compilation of $fσ_8$ data from RSD observations to identify the current level of tension between the Planck/$Λ$CDM standard model based on general r…
The abundance of clusters is a classical cosmological probe sensitive to both the geometrical aspects and the growth rate of structures. The abundance of clusters of galaxies measured by Planck has been found to be in tension with the prediction of the LCDM models normalized to Planck CMB fluctuations power spectra. The same tension appears with X-ray cluster local abundance. Massive neutrinos and modified gravity are two possible solutions to fix this tension. Alternatively, others options include a bias in the selection procedure or in the mass calibration of clusters. We present a study, ba…
We present updated constraints on the variation of the fine structure constant, $α_{\rm EM}$, and effective electron rest mass, $m_{\rm e}$, during the cosmological recombination era. These two fundamental constants directly affect the ionization history at redshift $z\simeq 1100$ and thus modify the temperature and polarisation anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) measured precisely with {\it Planck }. The constraints on $α_{\rm EM}$ tighten slightly due to improved {\it Planck} 2018 polarisation data but otherwise remain similar to previous CMB analysis. However, a compariso…
We use data from the DESI Legacy Survey imaging to probe the galaxy density field in tomographic slices covering the redshift range $0<z<0.8$. After careful consideration of completeness corrections and galactic cuts, we obtain a sample of $4.9\times 10^7$ galaxies covering 17 739 deg$^2$. We derive photometric redshifts with precision $σ_z/(1+z)=0.012 - 0.015$, and compare with alternative estimates. Cross-correlation of the tomographic galaxy maps with Planck maps of CMB temperature and lensing convergence probe the growth of structure since $z=0.8$. The signals are compared with a fiducial …
To investigate whether $f(R)$ gravity can relieve current $H_0$ and $σ_8$ tensions, we constrain the Hu-Sawicki $f(R)$ gravity with Planck-2018 cosmic microwave background and redshift space distortions observations. We find that this model fails to relieve both $H_0$ and $σ_8$ tensions, and that its two typical parameters $\log_{10}f_{R0}$ and $n$ are insensitive to other cosmological parameters. Combining the cosmic microwave background, baryon acoustic oscillations, Type Ia supernovae, cosmic chronometers with redshift space distortions observations, we give our best constraint $\log_{10}f_…
The Atacama Cosmology Telescope DR6 and DESI: Structure growth measurements from the cross-correlation of DESI Legacy Imaging galaxies and CMB lensing from ACT DR6 and Planck PR4
We show that involving a sterile neutrino species in the $Λ$CDM+$r$ model can help relieve the tension about the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ between the Planck temperature data and the BICEP2 B-mode polarization data. Such a model is called the $Λ$CDM+$r$+$ν_s$ model in this paper. Compared to the $Λ$CDM+$r$ model, there are two extra parameters, $N_{\rm eff}$ and $m_{ν,{\rm sterile}}^{\rm eff}$, in the $Λ$CDM+$r$+$ν_s$ model. We show that in this model the tension between Planck and BICEP2 can be greatly relieved at the cost of the increase of $n_s$. However, comparing with the $Λ$CDM+$r$+$dn_…
We study if the discrepancy between the local and cosmological measurements of the Hubble constant $H_0$ can be reformulated as a tension in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) monopole temperature $T_0$. The latter is customarily fixed to the FIRAS best-fit value in CMB data analyses. Although this value was confirmed by several independent experiments, it is interesting to see how much parameter constraints depend on this prior. We first provide a detailed pedagogical description of the $T_0$ effects on cosmological observables. We show that the recombination history and transfer functions…
