Constraints on Cosmology from the Cosmic Microwave Background Power Spectrum of the 2500-square degree SPT-SZ Survey

Abstract

We explore extensions to the standard LCDM cosmological model using new measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) from the South Pole Telescope (SPT). Adding SPT measurements to WMAP7 significantly improves constraints on possible extensions to the LCDM model_s19 the addition of low-redshift measurements of H0 and BAO leads to further improvements. Before combining these datasets, we check for consistency in the LCDM model between measurements of the CMB (SPT_s16WMAP7), H0 and BAO, and find evidence for some tension between the datasets. Within the CMB data alone, we find only weak support for physics beyond the LCDM model due to a slight trend of decreasing power at smaller angular scales, relative to the prediction of the LCDM model. This trend could be due to a logarithmic scale dependence of the power-law index of the primordial power spectrum, nrun. Alternatively, the trend could arise either from adjustments at small or large scales.