Distinguishing Between CDM and MOND: Predictions for the Microwave Background

Two hypothesized solutions of the mass discrepancy problem are cold dark matter (CDM) and modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND). The virtues and vices of these very different hypotheses are largely disjoint, making the process of distinguishing between them very dependent on how we weigh disparate lines of evidence. One clear difference is the nature of the principal mass constituent of the universe (CDM or baryons). This difference in the baryon fraction (fb ≈ 0.1 vs. 1) should leave a distinctive signature in the spectrum of fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background. Here I discuss some of the signatures which should be detectable in the near future. The most promising appears to be the ratio of the amplitudes of the first two peaks relative to the intervening trough. Subject headings: cosmic microwave background — cosmology: theory — early universe