Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe WMAP

Spergel, D.N., Verde, L., Peiris, H.V. et al. (2003) First-year wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe (WMAP) observations determination of cosmological parameters. Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 148, 175-94. 

Snowden-Ifft, D. R, Martoff, C. J., Burwell, J. M. 2000. Low pressure negative ion drift chamber for dark matter search, Phys. Rev. D61, 101301 Spergel, D. N. Steinhardt, P J. 2000. Observational Evidence for Self-Interacting Cold Dark Matter, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 3760 Spergel, D. N., et al. 2003. First-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations Determination of Cosmological Parameters, ApJS 148,175... 

Bennett, C.L. and 20 others, 2003. First year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) observations preliminary maps and basic results. Astrophys. J. Suppl., 148, 1-27. 

Following the success of the COBE mission several more refined (ground based and balloon) measurements of the CMBR fluctuations were performed between 1998 and 2001. An angular resolution of about 1° has been achieved, which was further refined to the arc-minute level by the satellite mission Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). The combined efforts of these investigations allowed the determination of the multipole projection of CMBR on the sky up to angular moments I = 2,000. The fluctuation information extracted... 

Multipole fluctuation strength of the cosmic microwave background radiation as a function of the spherical harmonic index I. The location and the height of the first minimum favors a spatially flat Universe, while the level of the fluctuations in the higher multipoles (/ > 400) Indicates the presence of a low-density baryonic component (<5%). The measurements cover already the damping region (/ > 1,000). Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) data are displayed together with results of earlier balloon observations (Reprinted from Nolta et al. 2009 with kind permission of the first author, the WMAP Science Team, and AAS)... 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). www.lmbda.gsfc.nasa.gov... 

The main goal of the Planck instrument is to improve the accuracy of the measurement of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), in order to extract cosmological parameters that remain poorly constrained after the results of WMAP (Wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe) and of the best ground-based experiments. The basic idea of HFI-Planck is to use all the information contained in the CMB radiation, i.e. to perform a radiometric measurement limited by the quantum fluctuations of the CMB radiation itself. In these conditions, the accuracy is only limited by the number of detectors and by the duration of the observation. 

The WMAP satellite, launched on 30 June 2001, released it first year results on 11 Feb 2003. Simultaneously the mission was renamed the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe to honor the late David T. Wilkinson who was a key member of both the COBE and the WMAP teams until his death in September... 

US WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) launched. The ekpyrotic universe model is proposed as an alternative to the inflationary model. 

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