New method of extracting non-Gaussian signals

Abstract

We propose a new general method of extracting non-Gaussian features in a given field. It sets the mean of the field to zero and renormalizes its Fourier (or multipole) power to white noise, while keeping the phase information unchanged. Using simulated cosmic microwave background (CMB) as an example, we demonstrate the power of this method under many challenging circumstances. In particular, we show its capability of detecting cosmic strings in the CMB.