[astro-ph/0511666] Mapping large-scale anisotropy in the WMAP data
Authors: |
A. Bernui, B. Mota, M.J. Reboucas, R. Tavakol |
Abstract: |
Analyses of recent cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations have
provided increasing indications for the existence of large scale anisotropy in
the universe. Given the far reaching consequences of such an anisotropy for our
understanding of the universe, it is important to employ alternative indicators
in order to determine whether the reported anisotropy is cosmological in
origin, and if so extract further information that may be helpful for
identifying its causes. Here we propose a new directional indicator based on
separation histograms of pairs of pixels with similar temperatures in the CMB
map, as a measure of large scale anisotropy. The main advantage of this
indicator is that it can be used to generate a sky map of large-scale
anisotropies in the CMB temperature map, thus allowing a possible additional
window into their causes. Using this indicator, we find a statistically
significant (at 95% CL) preferred direction in the CMB data and discuss how it
compares with other such axes recently reported. We also show that our findings
are robust with respect to both the details of the method used, and the choice
of the WMAP CMB maps employed. |
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Discussion related to specific recent
arXiv papers
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Garth Antony Barber
- Posts: 59
- Joined: July 19 2005
- Affiliation: Published independent
Post
by Garth Antony Barber » November 28 2005
In particular we have found, with high statistical significance (> 95% CL), a small region in the celestial sphere with very high values of σ, which defines a direction very close to the one reported recently [6, 10].
The 'Axis of Evil' strikes again?
Finally, regarding the origin of such large-scale anisotropy, a number of suggestions have been put forward. A detailed discussion of these suggestions is beyond the scope of the present work. Briefly though, they can arise either from a subtle form of unremoved foreground contamination (in which case the σ–map might
indicate where in the sky this contamination is most intense), or from the universe being genuinely anisotropic on large scales. This latter possibility is particularly interesting, as it would have potentially important consequences for the standard inflationary picture, which predicts statistically isotropic CMB temperature fluctuation patterns.
Among the proposed explanations, it has been suggested that the preferred direction could be due to the universe possessing a non-trivial topology
Life is just a dohnut?
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Tommy Anderberg
- Posts: 47
- Joined: November 24 2005
- Affiliation: independent
Post
by Tommy Anderberg » November 28 2005
Garth Antony Barber wrote:Life is just a dohnut?
Polyhedron. ;)