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The polarization modes, E and B are the electric (or "electric-like") and magnetic (or "magnetic-like") aspects of polarization of light and other electromagnetic radiation. The E-mode is a curl-free component and the B-mode is a gradient-free component. The names were chosen in analogy to electromagnetism, and aren't directly related to electric and magnetic fields. Polarization of the cosmic microwave background is studied using this breakdown.