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arXiv · 0811.1086

Translational Invariance and the Anisotropy of the Cosmic Microwave Background

Sean M. Carroll·Chien-Yao Tseng·Mark B. Wise
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Abstract

Primordial quantum fluctuations produced by inflation are conventionally assumed to be statistically homogeneous, a consequence of translational invariance. In this paper we quantify the potentially observable effects of a small violation of translational invariance during inflation, as characterized by the presence of a preferred point, line, or plane. We explore the imprint such a violation would leave on the cosmic microwave background anisotropy, and provide explicit formulas for the expected amplitudes $ $ of the spherical-harmonic coefficients.

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Sean M. Carroll, Chien-Yao Tseng, Mark B. Wise. 2010-04-06. Translational Invariance and the Anisotropy of the Cosmic Microwave Background. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.81.083501

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