``A Preliminary Detection of Arcminute Scale Cosmic Microwave
Background Anisotropy with the BIMA Array''
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Abstract
We have used the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association (BIMA) array
outfitted with low-noise millimeter-wave receivers to expand our
search for arcminute-scale anisotropy of the cosmic microwave
background (CMB). The interferometer was placed in a compact
configuration for sensitivity on arcminute scales over its 66 FWHM
field of view. This experiment is most sensitive to flat band power
described by an average multipole of l = 5530, corresponding to an
angular scale of 2. We present the analysis of 11 independent fields
that were selected based on their low contrast in infrared dust
emission and lack of bright radio sources. Applying a Bayesian
analysis to the visibility data, we find CMB anisotropy flat band
power Qflat = 6.1 K at 68% confidence. The measured signal exceeds
that expected from instrument noise with 76% confidence, and we find
an upper limit of Qflat < 12.4 K at 95% confidence. We have
supplemented our BIMA observations with concurrent observations at 4.8
GHz with the Very Large Array to search for and remove point
sources. We find that point sources make an insignificant contribution
to the observed anisotropy.
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