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Originally published in Science Express on 25 October 2007
Science 7 December 2007:
Vol. 318. no. 5856, pp. 1612 - 1614
DOI: 10.1126/science.1148694
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Reports

A Cosmic Microwave Background Feature Consistent with a Cosmic Texture

M. Cruz,1,2* N. Turok,3 P. Vielva,1 E. Martínez-González,1 M. Hobson4

The Cosmic Microwave Background provides our most ancient image of the universe and our best tool for studying its early evolution. Theories of high-energy physics predict the formation of various types of topological defects in the very early universe, including cosmic texture, which would generate hot and cold spots in the Cosmic Microwave Background. We show through a Bayesian statistical analysis that the most prominent 5°-radius cold spot observed in all-sky images, which is otherwise hard to explain, is compatible with having being caused by a texture. From this model, we constrain the fundamental symmetry-breaking energy scale to be {phi}0 {approx} 8.7 x 1015 gigaelectron volts. If confirmed, this detection of a cosmic defect will probe physics at energies exceeding any conceivable terrestrial experiment.

1 Instituto de Física de Cantabria, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientifícas Univ. de Cantabria, Avenida los Castros, 39005-Santander, Spain.
2 Departamento de Física Moderna, Universidad de Cantabria, Avenida los Castros, 39005-Santander, Spain.
3 Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Center for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK.
4 Astrophysics Group, Cavendish Laboratory, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 OHE, UK.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: cruz{at}ifca.unican.es

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)