Searching for a dipole modulation in the large-scale structure of the
  Universe
  Several statistical anomalies in the CMB temperature anisotropies seem to
defy the assumption of a homogeneous and isotropic universe. In particular, a
dipole modulation has been detected both in WMAP and Planck data. We adapt the
methodology proposed by Eriksen et al. (2007) on CMB data to galaxy surveys,
tracing the large-scale structure. We analyse the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS)
data at a resolution of ~2 degrees for three different flux thresholds: 2.5,
5.0 and 10.0 mJy respectively. No evidence of a dipole modulation is found.
This result suggests that the origin of the dipole asymmetry found in the CMB
cannot be assigned to secondary anisotropies produced at redshifts around z =
1. However, it could still have been generated at redshifts higher or lower,
such as the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect produced by the local structures.
Other all-sky surveys, like the infrared WISE catalogue, could help to explore
with a high sensitivity a redshift interval closer than the one probed with
NVSS.
