## Planck has lifted off May 14, 2009

Posted by keithkchan in fun stuffs.

I am still alive. Of course I am not going to shut up forever. I think it is time for me to start bullshitting again.

Finally Planck has successfully launched. (Together with another satellite Herschel, I have no idea what it is, and probably nobody cares what it is.)

As you know Planck is the next generation CMB experiment, conducted by ESO. Now WMAP measures CMB temperature up to $l \sim 1000$ or so, and E-polarization is about a few hundred or so; Planck is expected to take us further afield, maybe temperature maybe $l \sim 2500$ and E-polarization to about 1500. It may also measure B-mode polarization, which can be due to the gravitational waves from inflation. The WMAP data seems to suggest that the amount of non-gaussianity is larger than simple inflation model, hopefully Planck will be able to give us a more definite answer. And many other possibilities. Maybe it will confirm string theory, but I don’t know know. Then Lubos Motl will be very happy. (Of course I will also be happy about that.)