From Current CMBology to its Polarization and SZ Frontiers circa TAW8

Abstract

I highlight the remarkable advances in the past few years in CMB research on total primary anisotropies, in determining the power spectrum, deriving cosmological parameters from it, and more generally lending credence to the basic inflation-based paradigm for cosmic structure formation, with a flat geometry, substantial dark matter and dark energy, baryonic density in good accord with that from nucleosynthesis, and a nearly scale invariant initial fluctuation spectrum. Some parameters are nearly degenerate with others and CMB polarization and many non-CMB probes are needed to determine them, even within the paradigm. Such probes and their tools were the theme of the TAW8 meeting: our grand future of CMB polarization, with AMiBA, ACBAR, B2K2, CBI, COMPASS, CUPMAP, DASI, MAP, MAXIPOL, PIQUE, Planck, POLAR, Polatron, QUEST, Sport/BaRSport, and of Sunyaev-Zeldovich experiments, also using an array of platforms and detectors, e.g. AMiBA, AMI (Ryle+), CBI, CARMA (OVROmm+BIMA), MINT, SZA, BOLOCAM+CSO, LMT, ACT. The SZ probe will be informed and augmented by new ambitious attacks on other cluster-system observables discussed at TAW8: X-ray, optical, weak lensing. Interpreting the mix is complicated by such issues as entropy injection, inhomogeneity, non-sphericity, non-equilibrium, and these effects must be sorted out for the cluster system to contribute to ``high precision cosmology'', especially the quintessential physics of the dark energy that adds further mystery to a dark matter dominated Universe. We will have to address ``Is it cluster evolution or is it cosmology?''. The answer will be both, but we can be optimistic that, with the huge data influx, computational power increase, and talented people joining the adventure, we can handle both observationally, theoretically and phenomenologically.