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    Constraints on Large-Scale White Noise in the Cosmic Density Field

    Gabriela Barenboim1,2,*, Aurora Ireland3,4,†, and Albert Stebbins5,‡

    • *Contact author: gabriela.barenboim@uv.es
    • †Contact author: anireland@stanford.edu
    • ‡Contact author: stebbins@fnal.gov

    Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 081003 – Published 18 August, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/7dwt-h1h7

    Abstract

    We present observational constraints on large-scale white noise (LSWN) in the cosmic density field, a phenomenon predicted to arise from nonlinear mode coupling during cosmological evolution. Building on the theoretical framework of our companion paper, where we demonstrated that nonlinearities inevitably redistribute power from small to large scales through mode mixing, we confront these predictions with current cosmological data. We modify the class Boltzmann code to incorporate a white noise component kBH/k in the primordial power spectrum and perform parameter estimation using current cosmological data. The nondetection of excess power on the largest observable scales places stringent upper bounds: kBH≤1.80×10−13  Mpc−1 at 99% confidence. These constraints imply the primordial power spectrum must deviate from a power law on small scales, perhaps with a sharp cutoff at kcut≲0.03  pc−1 or through running of the spectral index with αs≲−0.019. Our results demonstrate that LSWN provides a powerful probe of the primordial spectrum at scales orders of magnitude smaller than those directly observable, offering unique constraints on early-universe physics.

    Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

    See Also

    Large-scale white noise and cosmology

    Gabriela Barenboim, Aurora Ireland, and Albert Stebbins
    Phys. Rev. D 114, 043533 (2026)

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