The UWObservational Cosmology Laboratory

A Brief Tour

Our Focus

The Cosmic Microwave Background(as viewed by WMAP)

What is the CMB?

…A remnant from the BIG BANG

Discovery of the CMB

Robert Wilson and Arno Penzias, 1964

The CMB and the Early Universe

The CMB provides clues as how the Universe expanded, or inflated to its current size

The CMB and the Early Universe

The CMB also provides clues about the composition of the universe…

Evolution of the Universe

The CMB and Last Scattering

Looking Back in Time

Gravitational Lensing

The Structure of the Universe

Early perturbations in the density of matter later give rise to the formation of galaxies…

CMB Temperature Fluctuations

CMB Polarization

The CMB in 3-D

CMB Detection• Ground-Based Experiments

• Wilson & Penzias• COMPASS

http://cmb.physics.wisc.edu/compass.html• POLAR

http://cmb.physics.wisc.edu/polar/• Balloons

• MSAM/TopHat http://topweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/

• Satellites• COBE

http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/product/• WMAP

http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_mm/ms_status.html

CMB Detection: Ground-Based

CMB Detection: Balloons

CMB Detection:Satellites

• COBE• WMAP

CMB Detection Evolution

WMAP Over Many Frequencies

K-Band

WMAP Over Many Frequencies

Ka-Band

WMAP Over Many Frequencies

Q-Band

WMAP Over Many Frequencies

V-Band

WMAP Over Many Frequencies

W-Band • 75-110 GHz• CMB peaks in this band

Wisconsin Experiments

Missions:• Compass• POLAR• MBI

MBI Instrumentation• Beam Mapping• Device Design• Mount & Pointing Structure • Phase Shifters• SQUIDS

COMPASS

POLAR

MBI: Electronics

Radio Telescopes

MBI Beam Mapping

MBI Mount and Pointing Structure

MBI Phase Shifters

MBI SQUIDs

UW ObsCos Today

Our Fearless Leader

Professor Peter Timbie