Statistical tests for the Gaussian nature of primordial fluctuations through CBR experiments.

Information about the physical processes that generate the primordial fluctuations in the early universe can be gained by testing the Gaussian nature of the fluctuations through cosmic microwave background radiation (CBR) temperature anisotropy experiments. One of the crucial aspects of density perturbations that are produced by the standard inflation scenario is that they are Gaussian, whereas seeds produced by topological defects left over from an early cosmic phase transition tend to be non-Gaussian. To carry out this test, sophisticated statistical tools are required. In this paper, we will discuss several such statistical tools, including multivariant skewness and kurtosis, Euler-Poincare characteristics, the three point temperature correlation function, and the Hotelling’s T 2 statistic defined through bispectral estimates of a one dimensional dataset. The effect of noise present in the current data is discussed in detail and the COBE 53 GHz dataset is analyzed. Our analysis shows that, on the large angular scale to which COBE is sensitive, the statistics are probably Gaussian. On the small angular scales, the importance of Hotelling’s T 2 statistic is stressed, and the minimum sample size required to test Gaussianity is estimated. Although the current dataset available from various experiments at half-degree scales is still too small, improvement of the dataset by roughly a factor of two will be enough to test the Gaussianity statistically. On the arcminute scales, we analyze the recent RING data through bispectral analysis, and the result indicates possible deviation from Gaussianity. Effects of point sources are also discussed. It is pointed out that the Gaussianity problem can be resolved in near future by ground-based or balloon-borne experiments. Address after Oct. 1, 1993 will be: 301 LeConte Hall; Center for Particle Astrophysics; University of California; Berkeley, CA 94720.