Introduction

Introduction

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), as the relic radiation from the hot, dense phase of the early universe, is an invaluable cosmological probe. In particular, the small variations in the CMB from point to point across the sky encode an immense amount of information regarding the structure and composition of the early universe. Indeed, variations in the intensity, or temperature, of the CMB have now been measured with sufficient accuracy and precision that they place important constraints on cosmological models. However, these temperature anisotropies are not the only structures observable in the CMB. The CMB also has an anisotropic polarized component, which represents a source of additional cosmological information.

The Origin of Cosmological Polarization

The Structure of Cosmological Polarization

Power Spectra and the Structure of CMB Anisotropies

Initial Conditions and Inflation

The Evolution of Perturbations and Acoustic Oscillations

Acoustic Oscillations and Apparent Temperature Variations

Acoustic Oscillations and CMB Anisotropies

Foregrounds