Looking for the imprints of nonlinear structures on the cosmic microwave background

Abstract

Many authors have estimated the anisotropies produced by one isolated cosmological non-linear inhomogeneity. This paper is an updated review about these estimates. The main methods used in order to deal with this problem are described. The limitations of these methods are analyzed. Results appear to be particularly interesting in the open non-linear case, in which a general treatment of the anisotropies produced by inhomogeneity distributions is very troublesome. The effects produced by very big structures such as the Great Attractor and the Boötes Void are studied in detail. Some generalities about the origin, detection and features of the Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies are also presented for the sake of completeness.