title: How Isotropic is the Universe?
abstract: A fundamental assumption in the standard model of cosmology is that the Universe is isotropic on large scales. Breaking this assumption leads to a set of solutions to Einstein's field equations, known as Bianchi cosmologies, only a subset of which have ever been tested against data. For the first time, we consider all degrees of freedom in these solutions to conduct a general test of isotropy using cosmic microwave background temperature and polarization data from Planck. For the vector mode (associated with vorticity), we obtain a limit on the anisotropic expansion of (σ_{V}/H)_{0}<4.7×10^{-11} (95% C.L.), which is an order of magnitude tighter than previous Planck results that used cosmic microwave background temperature only. We also place upper limits on other modes of anisotropic expansion, with the weakest limit arising from the regular tensor mode, (σ_{T,reg}/H)_{0}<1.0×10^{-6} (95% C.L.). Including all degrees of freedom simultaneously for the first time, anisotropic expansion of the Universe is strongly disfavored, with odds of 121 000:1 against.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saadeh
authors.affiliation: Astrophysics Group, Imperial College London, Blackett Laboratory, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Feeney
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pontzen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Hiranya V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Peiris
authors.affiliation: Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL), University College London, Surrey RH5 6NT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jason D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: McEwen