Dodecahedral space topology as an explanation for weak wide-angle temperature correlations in the cosmic microwave background
Open accessAbstract
The current 'standard model' of cosmology posits an infinite flat universe forever expanding under the pressure of dark energy. First-year data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) confirm this model to spectacular precision on all but the largest scales. Temperature correlations across the microwave sky match expectations on angular scales narrower than 60 degrees but, contrary to predictions, vanish on scales wider than 60 degrees. Several explanations have been proposed. One natural approach questions the underlying geometry of space--namely, its curvature and topology. In an infinite flat space, waves from the Big Bang would fill the universe on all length scales. The observed lack of temperature correlations on scales beyond 60 degrees means that the broadest waves are missing, perhaps because space itself is not big enough to support them. Here we present a simple geometrical model of a finite space--the Poincaré dodecahedral space--which accounts for WMAP's observations with no fine-tuning required. The predicted density is Omega(0) approximately 1.013 > 1, and the model also predicts temperature correlations in matching circles on the sky.
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The 'small universe' situation is observationally testable, and the cosmic background radiation power spectrum might already be giving evidence for it because of its lack of power on the largest angular scales.
“This 'small universe' situation is observationally testable, and indeed it has been suggested that the cosmic background radiation power spectrum might already be giving us evidence that this is indeed so, because of its lack of power on the largest angular scales (Luminet et al. 2003).”
From Multiverses and physical cosmology (2004) · cites this paper as Luminet et al. 2003
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Is the low cosmic microwave background quadrupole a signature of spatial curvature?
Efstathiou, G. (2003) · Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society · doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06940.x · Cited by 210 · see citing works
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Multiverses and physical cosmology
Ellis, G. F. R., Kirchner, U., & Stoeger, W. R. (2004) · Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07261.x · Cited by 82 · see citing works
- Authors
- Luminet, J.-P., Weeks, J. R., Riazuelo, A., Lehoucq, R., & Uzan, J.-P.
- Affiliations
- Observatoire de Paris (FR)
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Université Paris-Sud (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Weeks, Jeffrey R.
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2003-10
- Volume
- 425
- Issue
- 6958
- Pages
- 593-595
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W2095368814
- Cited by
- 424
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 28 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 25.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- arxiv.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- CERN Document Server (European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Nuclear and High Energy Physics › Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena
- Keywords
- Poincaré dodecahedral space, cosmic microwave background, cosmic topology, finite universe, spatial curvature, dark energy, cosmological models
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