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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/98560
The shape of the primordial power spectrum: A last stand before Planck data
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We present a minimally parametric reconstruction of the primordial power spectrum using the most recent cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure data sets. Our goal is to constrain the shape of the power spectrum while simultaneously avoiding strong theoretical priors and over-fitting of the data. We find no evidence for any departure from a power-law spectral index. We also find that an exact scale-invariant power spectrum is disfavored by the data, but this conclusion is weaker than the corresponding result assuming a theoretically-motivated power-law spectral index prior. The reconstruction shows that better data are crucial to justify the adoption of such a strong theoretical prior observationally. These results can be used to determine the robustness of our present knowledge when compared with forthcoming precision data from Planck.
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HIRANYA, V.P. and VERDE, Licia. The shape of the primordial power spectrum: A last stand before Planck data. Physical Review D. 2010. Vol. 81, num. 2, pags. 021302-1-021302-5. ISSN 1550-7998. [consulted: 9 of August of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/98560