Calculating density from CMB data

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CMB data is crucial for calculating the universe's average density and spatial curvature. The process involves generating a power spectrum of the CMB, computing an expected power spectrum based on specific model parameters, and then fitting these parameters to the observed data. The relationship between matter content and CMB temperature fluctuations is significant; discrepancies can indicate variations in density. The mathematics involved is complex but well-established in the field. For further reading, resources like the NASA Lambda website provide valuable papers on this topic.
skippy1729
Can anyone point me to some articles or book giving details of how the CMB data is processed to calculate the average density of the universe (or equivalently the average spatial curvature)?

Thanks, Skippy
 
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skippy1729 said:
Can anyone point me to some articles or book giving details of how the CMB data is processed to calculate the average density of the universe (or equivalently the average spatial curvature)?

Thanks, Skippy
This is a pretty big topic.

The basic, basic outline is as follows:

1. From experiment, generate a power spectrum of the CMB with errors.
2. Compute the expected CMB power spectrum as a function of the parameters of a specific model.
3. Use the above function to determine which parameters fit the data.

Which part of this are you most interested in?
 
CMB data tells us the matter content of the universe. If the matter content was less than we predict, so would be the CMB temperature fluctuations, and vice versa. The math is rather complex, but, has been thoroughly vetted.
 

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