Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation's Polarization Detected at Last

Scientific American ^ | 19 December 2002 | Sarah Graham

[PatrickHenry]

Although it was discovered less than 40 years ago, the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation has been around a lot longer than that. A relic from the early days of the Universe more than 14 billion years ago, the CMB is the oldest radiation on record. Current cosmological models posit that the CMB should be slightly polarized but this property has never been observed--until now. Researchers have successfully detected the CMB's polarization and found that it agrees with the theoretical estimates.

Erik Leitch and John Kovac of the University of Chicago and their colleagues used the Degree Angular Scale Interferometer (DASI), which is located at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, to study the CMB radiation. Over a two-year period, this array of radio telescopes collected radiation signals coming from deep space in two patches of blank sky. The resulting 271 days worth of useable data revealed the light's polarization (the direction in which the light's field oscillates as it travels toward an observer on the ground). Writing in the journal Nature, the scientists report that the CMB radiation's level and spatial distribution are in excellent agreement with the predictions of the standard theory. "If the light hadn't been polarized, that would mean that we would have to throw out our whole model of how we understand the physics of the early universe," Leitch notes. In an accompanying commentary, Matias Zaldarriaga of New York University calls the findings "both a remarkable technical achievement and a wonderful consistency check for the theory."

[johnny7]

When I pee in the bowl, it forms circular orbs, much like a planets orbit around a sun.

Under water, time may come into play. But I've seen bass track a plug untill it hit the water.

Joe DiMaggio couldn't have made a better catch.

Go figure. Time speeds up and slows down... no clock can measure it.

[Faraday]

FYI: Photons consist of orthagonal electric and magnetic field vectors oscillating at a particular frequency. A random photon generator, e.g. an incandescent light, will put out photons with their electric vectors going "every-which-way". LASERs will put out coherent polarized photons. Photons can be linearly polarized or circularly polarized. In the latter case, the photon's electric vector traces out a right or left handed helix as it moves through space. How this ties into the microwave background radiation, I don't have the foggiest.

[biblewonk]

I'd love to know what theory you propose that does a better job incorporating the observable features of the CMB into it

Are you saying that I have to make up a natural explaination for my existance and the existance of the universe? It is impossible. What caused the big bang?

[RightWhale]

the oscillation of the waves is perpendicular to the line of travel

The oscillation of the electromagnetic wave has a spatial component?

[BikerNYC]

I have a book called Galaxies, I think that's the one, which states that galaxies are all perfectly evenly distributed throughout the universe exactly as predicted by the Big Bang theory.

It's my understanding, and those with more astrophysical experience than I can correct me, that galaxies are not evenly distributed throughout the universe, but are located in fast sheets, as if they were on the surfaces of enourmous bubbles.

Isn't it interesting how the BB Theory is updated to predict the latest things observation shows us.

I can just see you as a cardinal in Rome back in the 13 and 1400s. "First they tell us that planets revolve around the Sun in circles, and then they tell us they revolve around the Sun in eliptical orbits. It's all a bunch of crap. Everyone knows the Sun revolves around the Earth."

[RightWhale]

Fields? Okay, fields are acceptable. But anything to do with spatial magnitude is not. One of the most amazing things in physics is that reflection of light off a specular surface polarizes the light. How can this be? It obviously is, but what is happening?

[BikerNYC]

Are you saying that I have to make up a natural explaination for my existance and the existance of the universe?

A natural explanation for your existence is that you are the result of fertilization when your parents had intercourse.

As far as the universe goes, that is one of cosmology's missions.

It is impossible.

Can you prove that? Do you want scientitsts to simply stop looking at the CMB and stop thinking about where it came from? Science is supposed to look for naturalistic explanations for things. That's its job.

What caused the big bang?

To ask the question presumes that the Big Bang had a cause. If you look at randomness as a quantum mechanical quality, I'm not convinced it did.

But to suggest that Galileo was wrong for looking through his telescope to see that the phases of Venus helped establish the heliocentric model of the solar system because he did not know where the Sun was in relation to everything else is ridiculous.

[biblewonk]

It's my understanding, and those with more astrophysical experience than I can correct me, that galaxies are not evenly distributed throughout the universe, but are located in fast sheets, as if they were on the surfaces of enourmous bubbles

Yes isn't it amazing how the theory can be so handily changed to predict what has just been observed. It sure starts looking a lot like astrology doesn't it.

Don't ever confuse Christianity with Catholicism BTW.

[PatrickHenry]

Does that make Fred Hoyle, officially, the patron saint of lost causes?

At first, I was going to say that Hoyle can't replace Robert E. Lee, but then we must remember that Hoyle is also the author of the "tornado in a junkyard" mantra of creationists, so maybe Hoyle really deserves the prize.

[biblewonk]

To ask the question presumes that the Big Bang had a cause. If you look at randomness as a quantum mechanical quality, I'm not convinced it did.

That's the funniest piece of "science" I've ever heard. You must be blushing. First there was no space, no time and no matter and then for no reason at all it all exploded into a universe. Wonderful. And you want schools to teach kids that but take down all references to the God of the bible, not any of the other gods though. OK maybe you aren't a Christianity hater like so many other materialists. But calling that pap science and calling Christianity and Creationism the antithesis(sp) of science, which so many do, is just plain rediculous.

[PatrickHenry]

Isn't it interesting how the BB Theory is updated to predict the latest things observation shows us.

Such open-minded flexability is a feature of science, which prevents scientific theories from becoming disprovable, laughable dogma.

[BikerNYC]

Theories are supposed to change when new observations are made. I'm not quite sure what you want scientists to do.

The religion of the cardinals was immaterial, it was their attitude that mattered. They seemed to know what people should see when they looked through a telescope before people actually looked through one.

It was the cardinals who had the theory that never changed when new observations were made. They had the Truth and observations meant little to them. I don't know what they were doing, but it wasn't science. Galileo saw quite clearly that theory must be changed when new observations are made.

[RightWhale]

Photons consist of orthagonal electric and magnetic field vectors oscillating at a particular frequency

Right. In free propagation the magnetic field collapses to become the electric field which collapses to become the magnetic field and somehow this whole assemblage moves in a particular direction - away from wherever it started. I'm not trying to resuscitate phlogiston or anything like that, but the idea of tiny [in the case of microwaves] self-perpetuating electromagnetic fields flying through space in perfectly straight lines for billions of years and preserving memory of the original field vector is mind-boggling.

[BikerNYC]

First there was no space, no time and no matter and then for no reason at all it all exploded into a universe.

Go read a good book on quantum mechanics and then come back prepared to talk about it.

[RightWhale]

galaxies are not evenly distributed throughout the universe, but are located in fast sheets

What do you mean "fast?" They look to me like strands in an open-cell foam, like a sponge.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Perhaps you just have prostrate problems. (I can avoid sequitur as easliy as anyone.)

[Doctor Stochastic]

The prediction preceded the observation in this case.

[BikerNYC]

Sorry...that should have been "vast."

[RightWhale]

for no reason at all it all exploded into a universe

There is very good reason. The more recent thinking has produced the idea that BBs are happening all the time, and that each BB cuts itself off immediately and completely from its parent structure. There are an infinite number of universes and an infinite number coming into being each instant. This happens as relief to stress in the cosmos and it will never end. Our own personal BB ocurred 14 billion years ago. Nothing special. Current thought on the subject.