Results from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) mapped the distribution of temperature and polarization over the entire sky in five microwave frequency bands. These full-sky maps were used to obtain measurements of temperature and polarization anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background with the unprecedented accuracy and precision. The analysis of two-point correlation functions of temperature and polarization data gives determinations of the fundamental cosmological parameters such as the age and composition of the universe, as well as the key parameters describing the physics of inflation, which is further constrained by three-point correlation functions. WMAP observations alone reduced the flat $\Lambda$ cold dark matter ($\Lambda$CDM) cosmological model (six) parameter volume by a factor of >68,000 compared with pre-WMAP measurements. The WMAP observations (sometimes in combination with other astrophysical probes) convincingly show the existence of non-baryonic dark matter, the cosmic neutrino background, flatness of spatial geometry of the universe, a deviation from a scale-invariant spectrum of initial scalar fluctuations, and that the current universe is undergoing an accelerated expansion. The WMAP observations provide the strongest ever support for inflation; namely, the structures we see in the universe originate from quantum fluctuations generated during inflation.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures, invited review for Special Section "CMB Cosmology" of Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (PTEP). (v2) New ns-r figure added. Accepted for publicatio

Texas Business Review, July 1977

College Enrollment Shifts Anticipate Current Job Market; San Antonio: A Military, Trade and Service Center; The High Price of HousingBureau of Business Researc

Astrophysical Observations: Lensing and Eclipsing Einstein's Theories

Albert Einstein postulated the equivalence of energy and mass, developed the theory of special relativity, explained the photoelectric effect, and described Brownian motion in five papers, all published in 1905, 100 years ago. With these papers, Einstein provided the framework for understanding modern astrophysical phenomena. Conversely, astrophysical observations provide one of the most effective means for testing Einstein's theories. Here, I review astrophysical advances precipitated by Einstein's insights, including gravitational redshifts, gravitational lensing, gravitational waves, the Lense-Thirring effect, and modern cosmology. A complete understanding of cosmology, from the earliest moments to the ultimate fate of the universe, will require developments in physics beyond Einstein, to a unified theory of gravity and quantum physics.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures (resol. Reduced to 85 dpi

Vector Reflectometry in a Beam Waveguide

We present a one-port calibration technique for characterization of beam waveguide components with a vector network analyzer. This technique involves using a set of known delays to separate the responses of the instrument and the device under test. We demonstrate this technique by measuring the reflected performance of a millimeter-wave variable-delay polarization modulator

Producing Mega-pixel CMB Maps from Differential Radiometer Data

A major goal of cosmology is to obtain sensitive, high resolution maps of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropy. Such maps, as would be produced by the recently proposed Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP), will contain a wealth of primary information about conditions in the early universe. To mitigate systematic effects when observing the microwave background, it is desirable for the raw data to be collected in differential form: as a set of temperature differences between points in the sky. However, the production of large (mega-pixel) maps from a set of temperature differences is a potentially severe computational challenge. We present a new technique for producing maps from differential radiometer data that has a computational cost that grows in the slowest possible way with increasing angular resolution and number of map pixels. The required central processor (CPU) time is proportional to the number of differential data points and the required random access memory (RAM) is proportional to the number of map pixels. We test our technique, and demonstrate its feasibility, by simulating one year of a space-borne anisotropy mission.Comment: 8 pages Latex with 3 Postscript figures embedded using eps

The Submillimeter Polarization Spectrum of M17

We present 450 {\mu}m polarimetric observations of the M17 molecular cloud obtained with the SHARP polarimeter at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. Across the observed region, the magnetic field orientation is consistent with previous submillimeter and far-infrared polarization measurements. Our observations are centered on a region of the molecular cloud that has been compressed by stellar winds from a cluster of OB stars. We have compared these new data with previous 350 {\mu}m polarimetry and find an anti-correlation between the 450 to 350 {\mu}m polarization magnitude ratio and the ratio of 21 cm to 450 {\mu}m intensity. The polarization ratio is lower near the east end of the studied region where the cloud is exposed to stellar winds and radiation. At the west end of the region, the polarization ratio is higher. We interpret the varying polarization spectrum as evidence supporting the radiative alignment torque (RAT) model for grain alignment, implying higher alignment efficiency in the region that is exposed to a higher anisotropic radiation field.Comment: 24 pages, 10 figure