Confrontation of MOND Predictions with WMAP First Year Data
Abstract
The power spectrum of temperature fluctuations in the cosmic background radiation (CBR) provides a test of the cold dark matter (CDM) hypothesis and alternatives like modified dynamics (MOND). In 1999, prior to any experimental constraints on the second peak in the CBR power spectrum, both hypotheses made specific predictions for the first-to-second peak amplitude ratio A12. LCDM models of that time predicted a rather large second peak, A12 < 1.9. A smaller second peak was expected in MOND, hence a bigger ratio: A12 = 2.4. In 2003, WMAP reported the measurement A12 = 2.34 +/- 0.09. A further distinction is provided by rapid structure formation in MOND, which leads to an earlier epoch of reionization than is nominally expected in LCDM. This prediction is realized in the polarization signal measured by WMAP. Hence the CBR measurements to date look very much like what was predicted a priori for MOND. At the same time, the post facto LCDM fit is very good, so the data do not yet provide a definitive test. This should be provided by the third peak once better measurements become available.Keywords
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