2024-05-04T06:49:40.541274+00:00

The "Axis of Evil" in the cosmic microwave background | Unsolved Mystery

AD | Enjoy 10% OFF on all Hoverpens and free shipping to most countries with code DrBecky: North America & other countries: https://bit.ly/drbecky_novium UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/drbecky_noviumeu There's a strange, unexplained feature of the Cosmic Microwave Background which seems to be aligned with the Solar System, and we don't why. Is it real or just a coincidence? And if it is real, does that mean we're missing something from our best cosmological model of the Universe? #cosmology #astrophysics Bennett et al. (2003; announce WMAP maps and results) - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/377253/pdf Eriksen et al. (2004; anisotropies in quadrupole and octupole) - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/382267/pdf Land & Magueijo (2005; dub “axis of evil”) - https://journals.aps.org/prl/pdf/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.071301 For a recent review of the tensions and anomalies in cosmology and the Cosmic Microwave Background see: - https://arxiv.org/pdf/2203.06142.pdf (p.99 for the axis of evil) 00:00 - Introduction 02:49 - What is the cosmic microwave background? 05:13 - What are "multipoles" in the CMB? 07:34 - What is the "axis of evil"? 08:42 - Possible explanations - it's not real 11:00 - Possible explanations - it is real 13:38 - Bloopers Video filmed on a Sony ⍺7 IV --- 📚 My new book, "A Brief History of Black Holes", out NOW in hardback, paperback, e-book and audiobook (which I narrated myself!): http://lnk.to/DrBecky --- 👕 My new merch, including JWST designs, are available here (with worldwide shipping!): https://dr-becky.teemill.com/ --- 🎧 Royal Astronomical Society Podcast that I co-host: podfollow.com/supermassive --- 🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and click the little bell icon to be notified when I post a new video! --- 👩🏽‍💻 I'm Dr. Becky Smethurst, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford (Christ Church). I love making videos about science with an unnatural level of enthusiasm. I like to focus on how we know things, not just what we know. And especially, the things we still don't know. If you've ever wondered about something in space and couldn't find an answer online - you can ask me! My day job is to do research into how supermassive black holes can affect the galaxies that they live in. In particular, I look at whether the energy output from the disk of material orbiting around a growing supermassive black hole can stop a galaxy from forming stars. http://drbecky.uk.com https://rebeccasmethurst.co.uk