Hemispherical Power Asymmetry revisited: Minkowski Functionals; Non-Gaussianity
Large angle statistical anomalies like the Hemispherical Power Asymmetry (HPA) persist in modern CMB data. First seen in WMAP and later confirmed in Planck, this apparent anisotropy in the variance of the temperature field has proven to be robust against tests of diverse systematics. In this talk I will to try answer the following question: is the HPA a genuine signature of anisotropy or a subtle hint that there's something else going on?
