" MAPping the Universe"

Edward L. (Ned) Wright
UCLA

Abstract

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, launched on 30 June 2001, has released the data from its first year of observation at the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point.  All-sky maps in five bands from 22 to 94 GHz give high signal to noise ratio detections of the cosmic microwave background anisotropy and the galactic foregrounds for angular scales between 0.2 and 180 degrees.  The correlation between polarization and temperature anisotropies due to electron scattering in the surface of last scattering is seen at small angles, and a large angle correlation due to electron scattering after reionization in the Universe at a redshift of about 20 is also seen.  The angular power spectrum of the anisotropy agrees well with the predictions of a flat, vacuum-dominated Lambda-CDM model.