Abstract.
The Universe is the grandest conceivable scale on which the
human mind
can strive to understand nature. The amazing aspect of cosmology, the
branch of science
that attempts to understand the origin and evolution of the Universe, is
that it
is largely comprehensible by applying the same basic laws of physics
that we use
for other branches of physics. The observed cosmic microwave background
(CMB)
is understood by applying the basic laws of radiative processes and
transfer, masterfully
covered in the classic text by S. Chandrasekhar, in the cosmological
context. In
addition to the now widely acclaimed temperature anisotropy, there is
also linear polarization
information imprinted on the observed Cosmic Microwave background. CMB
polarization already has addressed, and promises to do a lot more to
unravel the deepest
fundamental queries about physics operating close to the origin of the
Universe.
Keywords : cosmic microwave background - early Universe -
polarization -
radiative
transfer