Edge Detection, Cosmic Strings and the South Pole Telescope

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel method using Canny edge detection to identify cosmic strings in CMB maps, demonstrating potential detection capabilities for strings with tension above 5.5×10⁻⁸ using South Pole Telescope data.

Contribution

It introduces a new edge detection-based approach for constraining cosmic string tension from CMB temperature maps, tested with simulated data including realistic noise.

Findings

Detects cosmic strings with Gμ > 5.5×10⁻⁸ in simulated South Pole Telescope data

Demonstrates effectiveness of Canny edge detection for cosmic string signatures

Provides a new tool for future cosmic string searches in CMB data

Abstract

We develop a method of constraining the cosmic string tension $G\mu$ which uses the Canny edge detection algorithm as a means of searching CMB temperature maps for the signature of the Kaiser-Stebbins effect. We test the potential of this method using high resolution, simulated CMB temperature maps. By modeling the future output from the South Pole Telescope project (including anticipated instrumental noise), we find that cosmic strings with $G\mu > 5.5\times10^{-8}$ could be detected.