Sub-degree CMB anisotropy from space. I. Sky coverage and sensitivity

¹ Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita' di Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy
² Istituto di Fisica Cosmica, CNR, Milano, Italy
³ Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita' La Sapienza, Roma, Italy
⁴ Istituto TESRE, CNR, Bologna, Italy

Send offprint request to: P.F. Muciaccia

Received: 7 August 1995
Accepted: 27 November 1995

Abstract

Decisive progress in cosmology is expected from a space mission dedicated to an extensive mapping of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) with high angular and temperature sensitivity. Based on the European Space Agency COBRAS/SAMBA mission concept, we have studied the attainable sensitivity and sky coverage taking into account the effect of solar-system sources for the two far–Earth candidate orbits (Lagrangian points Moon–Earth L5 and Sun–Earth L2). We also take into account the microwave emission of the Galaxy in limiting the useful sky coverage. Our results provide a quantitative assessment of the relative observational merits of the two orbit options, and show that the Sun–Earth L2 orbit allows significantly better observational conditions.