Cosmic variance of the three point correlation function of the cosmic microwave background
Jun, 199311 pages
Published in:
- Astrophys.J.Lett. 416 (1993) L1
e-Print:
- astro-ph/9306012 [astro-ph]
DOI:
Report number:
- CFPA-93-TH-18
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Abstract: (arXiv)
The fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background radiation may contain deviations from gaussian statistics which would be reflected in a nonzero value of three-point correlation function of . However, any potential observation of the three-point function is limited by cosmic variance, even if a whole-sky map of is available. Here I derive a general formula for the cosmic variance of the three-point function in terms of integrals over the two-point function. This formula can be applied to any cosmological model and to any experimental measurement strategy. It gives a fundamental lower limit on the magnitude of a measurable three-point correlation function, and hence on the measurable amount of skewness in the distribution of .References(9)
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