Mysteries of the Large-Angle Microwave Sky

Dragan Huterer

January 22, 2010

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Abstract: Measurements of the cosmic microwave background anisotropies provide a unique window to the processes in the early universe. While the inferred cosmological parameters are generally in good agreement with the currently favored cosmological model, large-scale CMB anisotropies exhibit unexpected, statistically significant correlations with directions defined by the Solar System, in conflict with the assumption of statistical isotropy. Moreover, the angular two-point correlation function at large scales is approximately zero in all wavebands and is discrepant with the best fit LambdaCDM inflationary model at 99.97% confidence. I discuss these findings and their relation to other widely discussed results inferred from the CMB.