Speaker
Description
Tensions in the observed values of the Hubble constant and other key
parameters of the concordance model of cosmology may indicate problems in
the model itself. This motivates further independent tests of the model. I
will describe a test of a key foundation of the concordance model - the
Cosmological Principle. According to the Cosmological Principle, the
Universe should be statistically isotropic. In particular, isotropy in the
CMB must be consistent with isotropy in the galaxy distribution. This
means that the kinematic dipole in the CMB should agree in direction and
amplitude with the dipole in the galaxies. Current results suggest that
there is a significant tension between the amplitudes of these dipoles. I
will discuss some theoretical issues that remain to be clarified before
this can be declared as a new tension.
