Searching for primordial non-Gaussianity in Planck CMB maps using a combined estimator

Understand

The extensive search for deviations from Gaussianity in cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) data is very important due to the information about the very early moments of the universe encoded there.

• Recent analyses from Planck CMB data do not exclude the presence of non-Gaussianity of small amplitude, although they are consistent with the Gaussian hypothesis.
• The use of different techniques is essential to provide information about types and amplitudes of non-Gaussianities in the CMB data.
• In particular, we find interesting to construct an estimator based upon the combination of two powerful statistical tools that appears to be sensitive enough to detect tiny deviations from Gaussianity in CMB maps.