title: Fitting cosmic microwave background data with cosmic strings and inflation.
abstract: We perform a multiparameter likelihood analysis to compare measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) power spectra with predictions from models involving cosmic strings. Adding strings to the standard case of a primordial spectrum with power-law tilt ns, we find a 2sigma detection of strings: f10=0.11+/-0.05, where f10 is the fractional contribution made by strings in the temperature power spectrum (at l=10). CMB data give moderate preference to the model ns=1 with cosmic strings over the standard zero-strings model with variable tilt. When additional non-CMB data are incorporated, the two models become on a par. With variable ns and these extra data, we find that f10<0.11, which corresponds to Gmicro<0.7x10(-6) (where micro is the string tension and G is the gravitational constant).
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bevis
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hindmarsh
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kunz
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Urrestilla