Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Review

Abstract

I review the present observational status of the SZ effect due to the Compton scattering of the 3K background on the hot electrons of clusters of galaxies. I raise the relevant issues from theoretical and X-ray aspects of the question that challenge the present experiments. Future instruments like powerful radio interferometers and bolometric cameras should give us access to the statistics of clusters as well as their internal morphology within the next ten years. They will provide an approach complementary to space experiments (XMM, Chandra, Planck) for some fundamental cosmological and large scale structure issues.