Astr 204 November 29, 2001 

COBE satellite: mapping the sky

Imagine COBE mapped the Earth: what would it look like??

Temperature maps
Remarkably boring
Very faint structure if we measure it very accurately
Boomerang and Maxima: scaling the acoustic peaks

Thermal History:
Expansion
Plasma
Electron glue
Pressure

Acoustic oscillations

An unusual standard rod

Growth of density contrast

Electron glue

Opposing forces

Temperature change in gases

A real standard rod!

No "Big Crunch"!