Colloquium Detail

MAP and the Emerging Standard Model of Cosmology

Date: 3/27/1999

David Spergel
Professor, Princeton

Recent data points to a standard model of cosmology: a flat universe with a cosmological constant and most of the matter in the form of cold dark matter. I will describe recent CMB, supernova and large structure data and show how all of this data appears to be compatible with this model. This model will face several stringent tests over the next few years: (1) SDSS observation of large scale structure will accurately probe the mass distribution in the nearby universe; (2) lensing observations will probe the evolution of structure and (3) MAP will measure the microwave background fluctuation spectrum over the entire sky with angular resolution of 0.2 degrees. I will focus on the MAP experiment, which is scheduled for launch in November 2000 and describe its current status and science goals.