B-mode plots, spherical harmonics?, fundamental modes?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the visualization of B-mode sky plots through Fourier transformation, specifically focusing on the appearance of the lowest order B-mode harmonic on a spherical surface. It suggests the need for two functions of spherical coordinates: one for amplitude and another for orientation at various points on the sphere. The conversation also raises the question of whether a hypothetical "gravitational wave" could be associated with this lowest order harmonic. Links to external resources are provided for further exploration of related concepts. Understanding these elements is crucial for analyzing B-mode polarization in cosmology.
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If the B-mode sky plots could be Fourier transformed what would be a plot of the lowest order B-mode harmonic plotted on a sphere look like?

I guess we need two functions of spherical coordinates, one function for amplitude at points on a sphere and one function for the orientation at the same points on a sphere?

Is there a hypothetical "gravitational wave" that gives rise to this lowest order harmonic?

Thanks for any help!
 
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