Confirming large-scale homogeneity and acceleration with the CMB
Zibin, James (University of British Columbia)

A fundamental assumption in cosmology is that of large-scale homogeneity. The CMB trivially demonstrates isotropy, but homogeneity is surprizingly difficult to verify. Indeed, models with extremely large spherical voids in EdS backgrounds have received substantial attention as alternatives to accelerating dark energy or modified gravity models. In this talk I will discuss the crucial role that observations of the CMB play in ruling out very large classes of these void models, and hence in confirming homogeneity and demonstrating the reality of acceleration.