The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
Astrophysics
2009-10-31 v1
Abstract
We summarize the theoretical and observational status of the study of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation. Its thermodynamic spectrum is a robust prediction of the Hot Big Bang cosmology and has been confirmed observationally. There are now 76 observations of Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropy, which we present in a table with references. We discuss the theoretical origins of these anisotropies and explain the standard jargon associated with their observation.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0002044,
title = {The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation},
author = {Eric Gawiser and Joseph Silk},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0002044},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
Review article to appear in David Schramm Memorial Volume of Physics Reports, 29 pages, color figures and complete table of CMB anisotropy observations also available at http://mamacass.ucsd.edu/people/gawiser/cmb.html