Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did Planck improve on WMAPās observations of the cosmic microwave background?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Cosmic microwave background
A full-sky map produced by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) showing cosmic background radiation, a very uniform glow of microwaves emitted by the infant universe more than 13 billion years ago. Color differences indicate tiny fluctuations in the intensity of the radiation, a result of tiny variations in the density of matter in the early universe. According to inflation theory, these irregularities were the āseedsā that became the galaxies. WMAP's data support the big bang and inflation models, and cosmic microwave background is at the farthest limits of the observable universe.
The Planck satellite improved upon the observations made by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) by providing significantly greater sensitivity and resolution in its mapping of the cosmic microwave background.1
While WMAP measured temperature variations with high precision, Planck enhanced these capabilities through several technical advancements:
- Increased Sensitivity: Planck measured temperature fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background with a precision of approximately 2 parts per million.1
- Higher Angular Resolution: Planck achieved an angular resolution of about 10 minutes of arc, allowing for a more detailed view of the early universe's density fluctuations.1
- Broader Frequency Coverage: Planckās instruments operated across a wider range of radio emissions, covering 30 to 857 gigahertz.1
- Advanced Analytical Capabilities: The satelliteās high angular resolution and polarization sensitivity enabled it to observe gravitational lensing in the cosmic microwave background and measure the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect, which is a distortion of the radiation caused by galaxy clusters.1