1993/10/22 by David Coulson, Pedro G. Ferreira, Pedro Ferreira +3 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Anisotropy #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Big Bang (financial markets) #COSMIC cancer database #Computer science #Cosmic background radiation #Cosmic microwave background #Cosmic string #Cosmology #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Inflation (cosmology) #Noise (video) #Particle physics #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology #Symmetry breaking #Theoretical physics #Universe #astro-ph #hep-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/368027a0
13 pages, TeX, Colour Figures available by anonymous ftp (color postscript files), PUP-TH-93/1429
arxiv created 1993/10/22 · openalex publication_date 1994/03/01 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
High resolution maps of the anisotropy of the microwave sky will yield invaluable clues as to the mechanisms involved in cosmic structure formation. One fundamental question they should answer is whether the fluctuations were Gaussian random noise, as predicted in inflationary models, or were nonGaussian as in theories based on symmetry breaking and cosmic defects. In the latter case there is the prospect of obtaining information regarding symmetry breaking at high energy scales, specifically the homotopy classes Πn of the vacuum manifold. In this paper we report on detailed calculations of the degree scale anisotropies predicted in the cosmic string, monopole texture and nontopological texture theories of structure formation, emphasising their distinct character from those predicted by inflation, and the bright prospects for experimental tests.