Constraining primordial magnetic fields with CMB polarization experiments

Abstract

We calculate the effect that a primordial homogeneous magnetic field, $\B_0$, will have on the different CMB power spectra due to Faraday rotation. Concentrating on the $TB$, $EB$ and $BB$ correlations, we forecast the ability for future CMB polarization experiments to constrain $\B_0$. Our results depend on how well the foregrounds can be subtracted from the CMB maps, but we find a predicted error between $\sigma_{\B_0} = 4 \times 10^{-11}$Gauss (for the QUIET experiment with foregrounds perfectly subtracted) and $3 \times 10^{-10}$Gauss (with the Clover experiment with no foreground subtraction). These constraints are two orders of magnitudes better than the present limits on $\B_0$.