Abstract
The near isotropy of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is considered to be the strongest indication for the homogeneity and isotropy of the Universe, a cornerstone of most cosmological analysis. We derive new theorems which extend the Ehlers-Geren-Sachs result that an isotropic CMB implies that the Universe is either stationary or homogeneous and isotropic, and its generalization to the almost isotropic case. We discuss why the theorems do not apply to the real Universe, and why the CMB observations do not imply that the Universe would be nearly homogeneous and isotropic.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Physical Review D : Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology |
| Volume | 79 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| Pages (from-to) | 123522 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| ISSN | 1550-7998 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Jun 2009 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Fields of Science
- 114 Physical sciences