Related papers: A Test for the Zero Mean Hypothesis in Cosmology
The two fundamental assumptions of the standard cosmological model - that the initial fluctuations are statistically isotropic and Gaussian - are rigorously tested using maps of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy from the…
The conventional $\Lambda$CDM cosmological model supplemented by the inflation concept describes the Universe very well. However, there are still a few concerns: new Planck data impose constraints on the shape of the inflaton potential,…
The breakdown of statistical homogeneity and isotropy of cosmic perturbations is a generic feature of ultra large scale structure of the cosmos, in particular, of non trivial cosmic topology. The statistical isotropy (SI) of the Cosmic…
The statistical expectation values of the temperature fluctuations of cosmic microwave background (CMB) are assumed to be preserved under rotations of the sky. This assumption of {\em statistical isotropy} (SI) of the CMB anisotropy should…
Assuming that the cosmological principle holds, Maartens, Ellis and Stoeger (MES) recently constructed a detailed scheme linking anisotropies in the cosmic background radiation (CMB) with anisotropies and inhomogeneities in the large scale…
Gaussianity of the cosmological perturbations in the universe is one of the key predictions of standard inflation, but it is violated by other models of structure formation such as topological defects. We present the first test of the…
The cosmological principle asserts that the Universe is homogeneous and isotropic on large enough scales. However, alternative cosmological models can bring about anisotropies through local inhomogeneities, anisotropic evolution, or exotic…
We review the present status of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropy observations and discuss the main related astrophysical issues, instrumental effects and data analysis techniques. We summarise the balloon-borne and ground-based…
The origin of power asymmetry and other measures of statistical anisotropy on the largest scales of the universe, as manifested in Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and large-scale structure data, is a long-standing open question in…
A space-dependent mean for cosmological perturbations negates the ansatz of statistical homogeneity and isotropy, and hence ergodicity. In this work, we construct such a primordial mean of scalar perturbations from an alternative quantum…
We study the problem of searching for cosmic string signal patterns in the present high resolution and high sensitivity observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). This article discusses a technique capable of recognizing…
Recent measurements of the temperature field of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) provide tantalising evidence for violation of Statistical Isotropy (SI) that constitutes a fundamental tenet of contemporary cosmology. CMB space based…
The study of cosmic birefringence through Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiments is a key research area in cosmology and particle physics, providing a critical test for Lorentz and CPT symmetries. This paper focuses on an upcoming…
The anomalous lack of large angle temperature correlations has been a surprising feature of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) since first observed by COBE-DMR and subsequently confirmed and strengthened by the Wilkinson Microwave…
A fundamental assumption in cosmology is that of statistical isotropy - that the universe, on average, looks the same in every direction in the sky. Statistical isotropy has recently been tested stringently using Cosmic Microwave Background…
WMAP observations have accurately determined the position of the first two peaks and dips in the CMB temperature power spectrum. These encode information on the ratio of the distance to the last scattering surface to the sound horizon at…
The quadrupole power of cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropies seen in the WMAP data is puzzlingly low. In this paper we demonstrate that Minimum Variance Optimization (MVO), a technique used by many authors (including…
The breakdown of statistical homogeneity and isotropy of cosmic perturbations is a generic feature of ultra large scale structure of the cosmos, in particular, of non trivial cosmic topology. The statistical isotropy (SI) of the Cosmic…
Cosmology relies on the Cosmological Principle, i.e., the hypothesis that the Universe is homogeneous and isotropic on large scales. This implies in particular that the counts of galaxies should approach a homogeneous scaling with volume at…
The cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropies exhibit a large-scale dipolar power asymmetry. To determine whether this is due to a real, physical modulation or is simply a large statistical fluctuation requires the…