Planck 2013 results support the cyclic universe

TL;DR

The 2013 Planck results are compatible with simple cyclic universe models, predicting no primordial B-modes and specific non-Gaussianity signatures, with future data poised to test these predictions.

Contribution

This paper demonstrates that Planck 2013 data supports cyclic universe models with natural parameters, providing specific predictions for non-Gaussianity parameters.

Findings

Planck 2013 results are consistent with cyclic models.

Predicted absence of observable primordial B-mode polarization.

A sharp constraint on the trispectrum parameter g_{NL} < -1700.

Abstract

We show that results from the Planck satellite reported in 2013 are consistent with the simplest cyclic models for natural parameter ranges i.e., order unity dimensionless coefficients, assuming the standard entropic mechanism for generating curvature perturbations. With improved precision, forthcoming results from Planck and other experiments should be able to test the parameter ranges by confirming or refuting the core predictions - i.e., no observable primordial B-mode polarization and detectable local non-gaussianity. A new prediction, given the Planck 2013 constraints on the bispectrum, is a sharp constraint on the local trispectrum parameter g_{NL}; namely, the simplest models predict it is negative, with g_{NL} < -1700.