文档介绍：Physics Reports 333}334 (2000) 269}308
Cosmic microwave background
CMB anisotropy experiments
e F. Smoot
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab & Physics Department, University of California, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
Abstract
Anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) encode information about the evolution and
development of the universe. Quality observations of CMB anisotropies can provide a very strong test of
cosmological models and provide high precision determination of major cosmological parameters. This
paper provides a review of the COBE DMR results, the current status of the measurements of the CMB
anisotropy power spectrum and then focuses current and future programs including both suborbital
observations and the two selected satellite missions: the NASA MidEX mission MAP and the ESA M3
mission Max Planck Surveyor. This review includes both a description of the experimental programs and the
expected quality level of results. ( 2000 Elsevier Science . All rights reserved.
PACS: .!v
Keywords: Cosmic microwave background radiation; Cosmology; Schramm
1. Introduction
The observed cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation provides strong evidence for the
big bang model of cosmology and is the best probe we have for determining conditions in the early
universe as well as determining many important cosmological parameters. The angular power
spectrum of the CMB contains information on virtually all cosmological parameters of interest,
X X
including the geometry of the universe ( ), the baryon density ( "), the Hubble expansion rate (h),
K
the cosmological constant ( ), the number of light neutrinos (nJ), the ionization history of the
universe, and the amplitudes and spectral indices of the primordial and tensor perturbation
spectra. Precise CMB observations, data analysis, and interpretation can distinguish between
cosmological models. They can be used to verify that the range of models under consideration is
plausibl