Detection of CMB-Cluster Lensing using Polarization Data from SPTpol

SPTpol and DES Collaboration

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the first detection of gravitational lensing due to galaxy clusters using only the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The lensing signal is obtained using a new estimator that extracts the lensing dipole signature from stacked images formed by rotating the cluster-centered Stokes QU map cutouts along the direction of the locally measured background CMB polarization gradient. Using data from the SPTpol 500 deg2 survey at the locations of roughly 18 000 clusters with richness λ≥10 from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year-3 full galaxy cluster catalog, we detect lensing at 4.8σ. The mean stacked mass of the selected sample is found to be (1.43±0.40)×1014MȮ which is in good agreement with optical weak lensing based estimates using DES data and CMB-lensing based estimates using SPTpol temperature data. This measurement is a key first step for cluster cosmology with future low-noise CMB surveys, like CMB-S4, for which CMB polarization will be the primary channel for cluster lensing measurements.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number181301
JournalPhysical review letters
Volume123
Issue number18
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 31 2019

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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