Abstract
A new generation of Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) experiments are currently providing the first precision measurements of fluctuations in the CMBR. These fluctuations hold information about all the fundamental cosmological parameters, and the experiments have already confirmed beyond reasonable doubt that the geometry of the universe is very close to being flat. The new CMBR experiments can also be used to probe particle physics beyond the standard model. For instance, data from the new Boomerang experiment yield an upper limit on the effective number of neutrinos present at recombination, N ν ≤ 13 (95% C.L.). This already puts significant constraints on many non-standard neutrino scenarios, such as the possible bulk neutrino modes expected in theories with large extra dimensions. The upcoming satellite experiments will improve the sensitivity of the CMBR by almost an order of magnitude and make the CMBR an excellent laboratory for precision particle physics.
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