Modeling the Power Spectrum of the Cosmic Microwave Bacground with CMBFAST


In this final Lambda Lab #3 you get to model the CMB power spectrum with CAMB - the new version of the famous CMBFAST by Seljak and Zaldarriaga (also known as the fastest Boltzman code in the west), now available on line, in real time.

For background reading, refer back to the Introduction page, where you will find several good articles on interpreting the power spectrum of the CMB.

For some history of CMB measurements, take a look at our activity COBE for (Big) Kids to learn about the first satellite to map the CMB anisotropies. You can do this activity with the Image-32 software; the necessary images are included in the directory on your CD called "CMB/COBE_lab".

In CMBFAST you get to see the effects of changing the various cosmological parameters on the shape, location of peaks, and height of peaks, in the power spectrum of the CMB. By varying one or two parameters at a time, you can see the effect each one has on the peaks in the power spectrum.

This is your chance to play Major Deity, and create your own model universe.

Creating your power spectra with CAMB

List of input parameters

Read the on-line documentation HERE for an explanation of the input parameters.

Go to the CAMB online, interactive modeling page



Introduction to Cosmology
High Z Supernovae, Type Ia:
Evidence for Cosmic Acceleration
Globular Clusters and the
Age of the Universe