On CCC-predicted concentric low-variance circles in the CMB sky

A new analysis of the CMB, using WMAP data, supports earlier indications of non-Gaussian features of concentric circles of low temperature variance. Conformal cyclic cosmology (CCC) predicts such features from supermassive black-hole encounters in an aeon preceding our Big Bang. The significance of individual low-variance circles in the true data has been disputed; yet a recent independent analysis has confirmed CCC's expectation that CMB circles have a non-Gaussian temperature distribution. Here we examine concentric sets of low-variance circular rings in the WMAP data, finding a highly non-isotropic distribution. A new “sky-twist” procedure, directly analysing WMAP data, without appeal to simulations, shows that the prevalence of these concentric sets depends on the rings being circular , rather than even slightly elliptical, numbers dropping off dramatically with increasing ellipticity. This is consistent with CCC's expectations; so also is the crucial fact that whereas some of the rings' radii are found to reach around 15 ° , none exceed 20 ° . The non-isotropic distribution of the concentric sets may be linked to previously known anomalous and non-Gaussian CMB features.