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DavidSnider
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Does the existence of the "Axis of Evil" observed by WMAP and Planck mean that there is a special frame of reference in the universe?
Chronos said:Controversy over the 'axis of evil' has continued since it was first identified. Even Land and Magueijo have tempered their enthusiasm - re: http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0611518, The Axis of Evil revisited. One of the more interesting papers I've seen was http://arxiv.org/abs/0908.0453, The axis of evil - a polarization perspective. The authors concluded Planck polarization data may resolve the issue. Just another reason to look forward to the Planck polarization data release.
MathematicalPhysicist said:Just another patchwork.
Vanadium 50 said:Let's back up a bit.
- The Cosmological Principle is a statistical statement. As a trivial example, we live on a planet, a very atypical place.
- The Axis is a rather odd feature, but (if real) it's not wildly improbable. One problem cosmologists face is something called "cosmic variance", but it basically means there is only one sky. If you see a feature you would only expect half the time, what do you conclude? 5% of the time? 1% of the time? Once in a million?
- There exist similar odd features, like Stephen Hawking's initials. This just shows the futility of a posteriori probabilities.
- The issue of foreground contamination is not settled. This is one of those cases in science where one faction insists that it's settled in one direction, and the other faction says it's settled in the other.
phinds said:So, do you think the Cosmological Principle is wrong ?
Biggest void in universe may explain cosmic cold spot
"This would be the simplest explanation requiring no exotic physics," says Szapudi. He adds that similarly simple causes may lie at the heart of other CMB mysteries, such as temperature differences that seem to be aligned along a preferred direction, dubbed the "axis of evil".
The Axis of Evil is a term used by physicists to refer to a pattern observed in the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) - the leftover radiation from the Big Bang. It is a series of cold and hot spots that appear to be aligned in a particular direction in the sky.
The significance of the Axis of Evil lies in the fact that it challenges the assumption of isotropy in the universe - the idea that the universe looks the same in all directions. It suggests that there may be a preferred direction or frame of reference in the universe, which goes against the principles of the cosmological principle.
No, the existence of the Axis of Evil does not prove that there is a special frame of reference in the universe. It is still a topic of debate among scientists, and more research and evidence are needed to confirm or refute this idea.
Some possible explanations for the Axis of Evil include instrumental or observational errors, statistical flukes, or the influence of nearby structures on the CMB. Another possibility is that it is a real signal, and it could be caused by cosmic defects, such as cosmic strings or textures, that were created in the early universe.
The existence of the Axis of Evil challenges our current understanding of the universe and raises questions about the validity of the cosmological principle. It also has implications for our models of the early universe and the structure and evolution of the cosmos. Further research on the Axis of Evil could lead to new insights and advancements in our understanding of the universe.