Search for Cosmic Strings in CMB Anisotropies

Abstract

We have searched the 1st-year WMAP W-Band CMB anisotropy map for evidence of cosmic strings. We have set a limit of $\delta = 8 \pi G \mu / c^2 < 8.2 \times 10^{-6}$ at 95% CL for statistical search for a significant number of strings in the map. We also have set a limit using the uniform distribution of strings model in the WMAP data with $\delta = 8 \pi G \mu / c^2 < 7.34 \times 10^{-5}$ at 95% CL. And the pattern search technique we developed here set a limit $\delta = 8 \pi G \mu / c^2 < 1.54 \times 10^{-5}$ at 95% CL.