The CMB - Contemporary Measurements and Cosmology

Abstract

Since the discovery of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) in 1965, characterization of the CMB anisotropy angular power spectrum has become somewhat of a holy grail for experimental cosmology. Because CMB anisotropy measurements are difficult, the full potential of the CMB is only now being realized. Improvements in experimental techniques and detector technology have yielded an explosion of progress in the past couple of years resulting in the ability to use measurements of the CMB to place meaningful constraints on cosmological parameters. In this review, I discuss the theory behind the CMB but focus primarily on the experiments, reviewing briefly the history of CMB anisotropy measurements and focusing on the recent experiments that have revolutionized this field. Results from these modern experiments are reviewed and the cosmological implications discussed. I conclude with brief comments about the future of CMB physics.