— We review the present status of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropy observations and discuss the main related astrophysical issues, instrumental effects and data analysis techniques. We summarise the balloon-borne and ground-based experiments that, after COBE-DMR, yielded detection or significant upper limits to CMB fluctuations. A comparison of subsets of combined data indicates tha...

The standard model of cosmology is based on the existence of homogeneous surfaces as the background arena for structure formation. Homogeneity underpins both general relativistic and modified gravity models and is central to the way in which we interpret observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and the galaxy distribution. However, homogeneity cannot be directly observed in the gal...

We review cosmological inference from optical and radio galaxy surveys, the X-Ray Background and the Cosmic Microwave Background. We focus on three topics: (i) First results from the 2dF galaxy redshift survey; (ii) Estimation of cosmological parameters by joint analysis of redshift surveys and CMB data; and (iii) The validity of the Cosmological Principle, and constraints on the fractal dimens...

The lowest multipole moments of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) are smaller than expected for a scale-invariant power spectrum. One possible explanation is a cutoff in the primordial power spectrum below a comoving scale of k(c) approximately equal to 5.0 x 10(-4) Mpc(-1). Such a cutoff would increase significantly the cross correlation between the large-angle CMB and cosmic-shear pattern...

Through analytic techniques veri ed by numerical calculations, we establish general relations between the matter and cosmic microwave background (CMB) power spectra and their dependence on cosmological parameters on small scales. Fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), baryons, cold dark matter, and neutrinos receive a boost at horizon crossing. Baryon drag on the photons causes ...

We discuss upcoming opportunities with cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations during the post-WMAP era. The curlmodes of CMB polarization probe inflationary gravitational waves (IGWs). While a significant source of confusion is expected from cosmic shear conversion of polarization related to density perturbations, higher resolution observations of CMB anisotropies can be used for a lens...

Slow-roll inflation generically makes several predictions: a flat Universe, primordial adiabatic density perturbations, and a stochastic gravity-wave background. Each inflation model will further predict specific relations between the amplitudes and shapes of the spectrum of density perturbations and gravity waves. There are now excellent prospects for testing precisely these predictions with f...

The physics of the origin and evolution of CMB anisotropies is described. I explain the idea and status of cosmic parameter estimation and follow it up with critical comments on its dependence on model assumptions and initial conditions. DURRER, Ruth. Physics of Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies and primordial fluctuations. Space Science Reviews, 2002, vol. 100, no. 1-4, p. 3-14 DOI : 10...

Since cosmic-microwave-background (CMB) and large-scale-structure (LSS) data will shortly improve dramatically with the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) and Planck Surveyor, and the Anglo-Australian 2-Degree Field (2dF) and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), respectively, it is timely to ask which of the CMB or LSS will provide a better probe of primordial nongaussianity. In this paper we conside...

The Princeton IQU Experiment (PIQUE) and the Cosmic Anisotropy Polarization MAPper (CAPMAP) are experiments designed to measure the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) on sub-degree scales in an area within 1◦ of the North Celestial Pole using heterodyne correlation polarimeters and off-axis telescopes located in central New Jersey. PIQUE produced the tightest limit on the CMB...