What will we learn from the CMB?
Within the next decade, experiments measuring the anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) will add greatly to our knowledge of the universe. There are dozens of experiments scheduled to take data over the next several years, capped by the satellite missions of NASA (MAP) and ESA (PLANCK). What will we learn from these experiments? I argue that the potential pay-off is immense: We are quite likely to determine cosmological parameters to unprecedented accuracy. This will provide key information about the theory of structure formation and even about the physics behind inflation. If the experiments succeed, can anything spoil this pay-off? I focus on three possible spoilers - foregrounds, reionization, and defect models - and argue that we have every reason to be optimistic.
- Research Organization:
- Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH03000
- OSTI ID:
- 572846
- Report Number(s):
- FNAL/C-97/333-A; CONF-9705201-; ON: DE98050653; BR: KA HEP; TRN: 98:004335
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Fundamental Physics at the Birth of the Universe II, Rome (Italy), 19-24 May 1997; Other Information: PBD: Oct 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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