English

Is the Observable Universe Consistent with the Cosmological Principle?

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 2023-05-02 v4 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Theory History and Philosophy of Physics

Abstract

The Cosmological Principle (CP) -- the notion that the Universe is spatially isotropic and homogeneous on large scales -- underlies a century of progress in cosmology. It is conventionally formulated through the Friedmann-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) cosmologies as the spacetime metric, and culminates in the successful and highly predictive Λ\Lambda-Cold-Dark-Matter (Λ\LambdaCDM) model. Yet, tensions have emerged within the Λ\LambdaCDM model, most notably a statistically significant discrepancy in the value of the Hubble constant, H0H_0. Since the notion of cosmic expansion determined by a single parameter is intimately tied to the CP, implications of the H0H_0 tension may extend beyond Λ\LambdaCDM to the CP itself. This review surveys current observational hints for deviations from the expectations of the CP, highlighting synergies and disagreements that warrant further study. Setting aside the debate about individual large structures, potential deviations from the CP include variations of cosmological parameters on the sky, discrepancies in the cosmic dipoles, and mysterious alignments in quasar polarizations and galaxy spins. While it is possible that a host of observational systematics are impacting results, it is equally plausible that precision cosmology may have outgrown the FLRW paradigm, an extremely pragmatic but non-fundamental symmetry assumption.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2207.05765,
  title  = {Is the Observable Universe Consistent with the Cosmological Principle?},
  author = {Pavan Kumar Aluri and Paolo Cea and Pravabati Chingangbam and Ming-Chung Chu and Roger G. Clowes and Damien Hutsemékers and Joby P. Kochappan and Alexia M. Lopez and Lang Liu and Niels C. M. Martens and C. J. A. P. Martins and Konstantinos Migkas and Eoin Ó Colgáin and Pratyush Pranav and Lior Shamir and Ashok K. Singal and M. M. Sheikh-Jabbari and Jenny Wagner and Shao-Jiang Wang and David L. Wiltshire and Shek Yeung and Lu Yin and Wen Zhao},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2207.05765},
  year   = {2023}
}

Comments

extended contents and references, 73 pages (excluding references), 30 figures, version accepted for publication in Class. Quant. Grav. "Focus issue on the Hubble constant tension"

R2 v1 2026-06-25T00:51:38.974Z