CMB Spectral Distortions: A Multimessenger Probe of the Primordial Universe

Abstract

The frequency spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is a relatively untapped source of data which can allow us to peer beyond the surface of last scattering. Small deviations away from a perfect blackbody shape will encode valuable information about the state of the primordial Universe which may not be accessible by other means. Here, we briefly review some key science goals of CMB spectral distortions, with an emphasis on how future generations of experiments can be used in tandem with complementary observational probes to perform model discrimination of exotic physics scenarios. We focus here on synergies between spectral distortions, gravitational waves, and 21cm cosmology.

Comments: 8 pages, contribution to the 2024 Cosmology session of the 58th Rencontres de Moriond