Astronomers Find First Direct Evidence of Cosmic Inflation
Posted on March 18, 2014
Astronomers have announced finding the first direct evidence of cosmic inflation. The universe began expanding exponentially in its first fraction of a second. The findings come from observations by the BICEP2 telescope of the cosmic microwave background, which is a faint glow left over from the Big Bang. Astronomers say the data also represent the first images of gravitational waves, or ripples in space-time. These waves are also described as the "first tremors of the Big Bang." The researchers also say the BICEP2 data confirm a deep connection between quantum mechanics and general relativity.
The image above shows the "curl" or B-mode pattern observed with the BICEP2 telescope, which scientists say is consistent with the pattern predicted for primordial gravitational waves. The red and blue shading shows the degree of clockwise and anti-clockwise twisting of the B-mode pattern. The image below shows the tiny temperature fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background in the early universe.
John Kovac, leader of the BICEP2 collaboration from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, says in the announcement, "Detecting this signal is one of the most important goals in cosmology today. A lot of work by a lot of people has led up to this point."
The researchers say they were able to detect a B-mode polarization signal considerably stronger than many cosmologists expected. Clem Pryke, co-leader of the research from the University of Minnesota, says, "This has been like looking for a needle in a haystack, but instead we found a crowbar."
Dr. Mordecai-Mark Low of the American Museum of Natural History, tells the AP, "What has been announced today is direct observational evidence in support of the theory that the observational universe grew from the size of an atom to the size of a basketball in an enormously small fraction of a second." Take a look:
Results from the BICEP2 results can be found at bicepkeck.org.