Excess ellipticity of hot and cold spots in the WMAP data?

TL;DR

This study reanalyzes WMAP 7-year data and finds no significant excess ellipticity, obliquity, or non-Gaussian features in hot and cold spots, contradicting earlier claims of anomalies.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of WMAP data, showing consistency with Gaussian simulations and challenging previous reports of ellipticity anomalies.

Findings

Ellipticity of spots matches Gaussian simulations

No excess obliquity detected in WMAP data

Data shows no significant skewness or kurtosis in ellipticity or obliquity

Abstract

We investigate claims of excess ellipticity of hot and cold spots in the WMAP data (Gurzadyan et al. 2005, 2007). Using the cosmic microwave background data from 7 years of observations by the WMAP satellite, we find, contrary to previous claims of a 10 sigma detection of excess ellipticity in the 3-year data, that the ellipticity of hot and cold spots are perfectly consistent with simulated CMB maps based on the concordance cosmology. We further test for excess obliquity and excess skewness/kurtosis of ellipticity and obliquity and find the WMAP7 data consistent with Gaussian simulated maps.