Constraints on the global topology and size of the universe from the cosmic microwave background

2011/04/30 by Grigor Aslanyan, Aneesh V. Manohar · 3 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Age of the universe #Anisotropy #Astrophysics #CMB cold spot #Combinatorics #Computer science #Cosmic background radiation #Cosmic microwave background #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #De Sitter universe #Dimension (graph theory) #Extra dimensions #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Mathematics #Physics #Pure mathematics #Quantum mechanics #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology #Shape of the universe #Space (punctuation) #Theoretical physics #Topology (electrical circuits) #Universe #astro-ph.CO #hep-ph #hep-th

paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2012/06/003

published as JCAP 06 (2012) 003 · Additional checks, Monte-Carlo skies, and study of dipole contamination added. References added. 13 pages, 11 figures

arxiv created 2011/06/30 · openalex publication_date 2012/06/06 · arxiv updated 2012/08/27 · openalex created_date 2019/06/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We study the possibility that the universe is flat, but with one or more space directions compactified. Using the seven-year WMAP data, we constrain the size of the compact dimension to be L / L 0 ⩾ 1.27,0.97,0.57 at 95% confidence for the case of three, two and one compactified dimension, respectively, where L 0 = 14.4 Gpc is the distance to the last scattering surface. We find a statistically significant signal for a compact universe, and the best-fit spacetime is a universe with two compact directions of size L / L 0 = 1.9, with the non-compact direction pointing in a direction close to the velocity of the Local Group.

Citations

• Examination of Evidence for a Preferred Axis in the Cosmic Radiation Anisotropy
• A new analysis of the Poincaré dodecahedral space model
• The Axis of Evil revisited
• A test of the Poincaré dodecahedral space topology hypothesis with the WMAP CMB data
• Well-proportioned universes suppress the cosmic microwave background quadrupole
• SEVEN-YEAR WILKINSON MICROWAVE ANISOTROPY PROBE ( WMAP ) OBSERVATIONS: SKY MAPS, SYSTEMATIC ERRORS, AND BASIC RESULTS
• Review of Particle Physics

Cited by

• Cosmic Topology : Twenty Years After
• Hamilton–Jacobi meet Möbius
• The Möbius symmetry of quantum mechanics

Related

• Observational Constraints on the Topology (Global Geometry) of the\n Universe
• The Status of Cosmic Topology after Planck Data
• Cosmic Topology: a Brief Overview
• The evidence for a spatially flat Universe
• Do We Know the Geometry of the Universe?