Dark matter and relic particles

For the first time, we have a believable inventory of the contents of the universe. First, we have compelling evidence that the universe is flat (or at least very nearly so), consistent with the prediction of inflation. Measurements of the first acoustic peak in the angular power spectrum of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) by Boomerang Netterfield et al. [2001], MAXIMA Hanany et al. [2000], and DASI Pryke et al. [2001] indicate that the total energy density of the universe is near the critical density, Ωtot ≡ ρ/ρcrit = 1.0 ± 0.04. Furthermore, independent observations give us a good idea how this total is distributed among its constituent parts Turner [2001].