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Introduction |
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| Cosmology is the study of the large-scale properties of the universe as a whole. Our goal in cosmological studies is to understand the nature, origin, and evolution of the whole universe. The universe is the sum of all matter and energies, space and time, and the laws of nature. Cosmology involves the formation of theoretical models to describe our universe, which then provide us with specific predictions for physical phenomena that can be tested with astronomical experiments. The best current cosmological model is the expanding universe Big Bang model. The recent observational data (WMAP 1st year(large scales) + ACBAR, CBI, 2dF, Ly-alpha(small scales)) favor a present-accelerating flat 3-space universe dominated by some sort of dark energy.
In collaboration with the National Taiwan University, funded in part by the Ministry of Education Research Excellence Initiative, ASIAA is building AMiBA (Array for Microwave Background Anisotropy) designed to measure the CMB polarizations and to search for clusters of galaxies at high redshifts using the SZ effect. It is a platform-mounted interferometer operating at 90 GHz with up to 19 dishes of two possible diameters (0.6m, 1.2m), to be completed in 2007. Seven dishes are scheduled to be in operation by early 2006. |
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