Observational Hints of a Pre--Inflationary Scale?

Abstract

We argue that the lack of power exhibited by cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies at large angular scales might be linked to the onset of inflation. We highlight observational features and theoretical hints that support this view, and present a preliminary estimate of the physical scale that would underlie the phenomenon.

Comments: 7 pages, LaTeX, 2 eps figures. Essay Written for the 2015 Gravity Research Foundation Awards for Essays on Gravitation. Selected for Honorable Mention