English

Giant Rings in the CMB Sky

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 2011-01-27 v2 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

We find a unique direction in the CMB sky around which giant rings have an anomalous mean temperature profile. This direction is in very close alignment with the afore measured anomalously large bulk flow direction. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we estimate the significance of the giant rings at the 3σ3\sigma level and the alignment with the bulk flow at 2.5σ2.5\sigma. We argue that a cosmic defect seeded by a pre-inflationary particle could explain the giant rings, the large bulk flow and their alignment.

Cite

@article{arxiv.1005.3923,
  title  = {Giant Rings in the CMB Sky},
  author = {Ely D. Kovetz and Assaf Ben-David and Nissan Itzhaki},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1005.3923},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

6 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

R2 v1 2026-06-21T15:26:04.921Z