That was more or less known for last two years (with a bit bigger error bars) from other CMB experiments, on which WMAP conviniently prefers not to stress attention.
(but, of course, WMAP is an excellent experiments, and the quality data is amazing, especially what they pulled off temperature-polarization correlation. But as of parameters of the Universe, they got values just on top of previous experimenents, which is great, but takes off some excitement).
Yeah, I guess it would be instructive to read the research paper, not just the popular article in a mainstream newspaper. I am not sure how much I would be able to understand though, physics and all.
From the papers which describe the experiment and the results, you won't get physics of the process, it is assumed already known.
Main physics responsible for anisotropy in the temperature of the microwave background (which is measured) is just plasma physics of hydrogen gas + radiation + some cold matter (with first two interacting by Thompson scattering plus all three components interacting gravitationally) at the epoch when our Universe had temperature ~ 3000K. (Currently the temperature of the background in 2.725K, i.e 3000K was one universe was compressed 1100 os so times). This plasma oscillates, essentially having standing sound waves. As Universe expands and cools, around 3000K temperature hydrogen almost completely recombines, and the photons propagate further freely and are observed now, letting us learn about this sound oscillations.
I.e this is very traditional physics. Quantitative details depend on the densities of the component, geometry of the Universe, through which photons propagate, and initial conditions which waves are excited, set by physics of early Universe. Thus accuratte measurements allow as to determine this parmeters of the Universe. The age, BTW, is infered later withing specific class of cosmological models, and is not measured directly in CMB experiments.
Wayne Hu (now at UChicago) wrote a lot of reviews in mid 90's, explaining the physics to to others. You can look at his website
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other CMB experiments, on which WMAP conviniently prefers not to stress attention.
(but, of course, WMAP is an excellent experiments, and the quality data is amazing,
especially what they pulled off temperature-polarization correlation. But as of
parameters of the Universe, they got values just on top of previous experimenents,
which is great, but takes off some excitement).
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physics of the process, it is assumed already known.
Main physics responsible for anisotropy in the temperature of the microwave background
(which is measured) is just plasma physics of hydrogen gas + radiation + some cold matter
(with first two interacting by Thompson scattering plus all three components
interacting gravitationally) at the epoch when our Universe had temperature ~ 3000K.
(Currently the temperature of the background in 2.725K, i.e 3000K was one universe was
compressed 1100 os so times). This plasma oscillates,
essentially having standing sound waves.
As Universe expands and cools, around 3000K temperature
hydrogen almost completely recombines, and the photons propagate
further freely and are observed now,
letting us learn about this sound oscillations.
I.e this is very traditional physics.
Quantitative details depend on the densities of the component, geometry of the Universe,
through which photons propagate, and initial conditions which waves are excited,
set by physics of early Universe. Thus accuratte measurements allow as to determine
this parmeters of the Universe. The age, BTW, is infered later withing specific class
of cosmological models, and is not measured directly in CMB experiments.
Wayne Hu (now at UChicago) wrote a lot of reviews in mid 90's, explaining the physics to
to others. You can look at his website
http://background.uchicago.edu/
starting with CMB Tutorial
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