Recent CMB observations have hinted strongly at an inflationary - TopicsExpress

Recent CMB observations have hinted strongly at an inflationary epoch in which the size of the universe undergoes rapid exponential expansion during the first 10-38 second, producing the near isotropy of the horizon, the flat geometry of the universe, and the pattern of peaks and valleys in the CMB power spectrum that we observe today. Although these recent observations are consistent with the inflationary model, they are not sufficient to rule out other models of the early universe. The critical remaining test is to detect the gravity-wave background (GWB), which is only predicted by inflation, and the most promising means of accomplishing that is to look for the GWBs imprint on the polarization of the CMB.