Giant Rings in the CMB Sky

Understand

We find a unique direction in the CMB sky around which giant rings have an anomalous mean temperature profile.

• This direction is in very close alignment with the afore measured anomalously large bulk flow direction.
• Using Monte Carlo simulations, we estimate the significance of the giant rings at the $3\sigma$ level and the alignment with the bulk flow at $2.5\sigma$.
• We argue that a cosmic defect seeded by a pre-inflationary particle could explain the giant rings, the large bulk flow and their alignment.