Flat Spots: topological signatures of an open universe in COBE sky maps

Abstract

We investigate the behaviour of light rays in an open universe with a partly periodic horn topology. The geodesics can be solved exactly and the periodic topology creates characteristic new effects in temperature maps of the microwave background. Large flat regions appear in COBE sky maps even when multiple images of astronomical sources are unobservable.

5 pages including figures, uses RevTex

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