Baryon Density
Dark Matter Density
Peak Positions
Instructions
- Adjust baryon density Ω_b
- Change dark matter Ω_c
- Watch acoustic peaks shift
Explore the CMB temperature power spectrum—adjust cosmological parameters to see how peak heights and positions change
The cosmic microwave background contains acoustic oscillations from the early universe. The power spectrum shows these as a series of peaks encoding cosmological parameters: baryon density, dark matter, curvature, and more. The CMB is cosmology's Rosetta Stone.
The first peak location determines spatial curvature (Ω_total). The relative heights of odd vs. even peaks reveal baryon density (Ω_b). The damping tail at high ℓ shows when photons last scattered. Every feature is a measurement.