Signals of Statistical Anisotropy in WMAP Foreground-Cleaned Maps

Understand

Recently a symmetry-based method to test for statistical isotropy of the cosmic microwave background was developed.

• We apply the method to template-cleaned 3-year and 5-year WMAP-$DA$ maps.
• We examine a wide range of angular multipoles from $2 < l < 300$.
• The analysis detects statistically signicant signals of anisotropy inconsistent with an isotropic CMB in some of the foreground cleaned maps.