COBRAS/SAMBA: the ESA medium size mission for measurements of CBR anisotropy

The COBRAS/SAMBA mission is designed for extensive, accurate mapping of the anisotropy of the Cosmic Background Radiation. with angular sensitivity from scales of a few arcminutes up to and overlapping with the > 7° COBE-DMR resolution. This will allow a full identification of the primordial density perturbations which grew to Corm the large-scale structures observed in the present universe. The COBRAS/SAMBA maps will provide a major source of information relevant to several cosmological and astrophysical issues, such as testing theories of the early universe and the origin of cosmic structure. One of the main diffuse foreground emissions will be from interstellar dust, and the mission will provide relevant information on its components and emission properties. A combination of bolometric and radiometric detection techniques will ensure the sensitivity and wide spectral coverage required for accurate foreground discrimination. A far-Earth orbit has been selected to minimize the unwanted emission from the Earth as a source of contamination. The project is currently undergoing a feasibility study within the European Space Agency M3 programme.