Could Cosmic Background Radiation Hold Clues About the Big Bang?

In summary, the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) was created during the Big Bang and has been traveling at the speed of light since then. It is not "ahead" of us, but surrounds us equally in all directions. The CMBR is not like a gas in thermal equilibrium, but rather is similar to the light from a galaxy. The Big Bang was not an explosion of matter and energy into space, but rather the rapid expansion of all-space, with energy and matter already present throughout the universe. As space expanded, matter cooled and formed atoms, which were then pulled together by gravity to form stars and galaxies simultaneously throughout the universe.
  • #1
BigMacnFries
Problaby a silly thought but if the cosmic microwave backgroud radiation got created in the big bang and traveled outwards at the speed of light, and so did everything else, but traveled at less than the speed of light, would'nt it be "ahead" of us. Or alternatively if the radiation is absorbed and reemitted a lot does it get affected by fluorescense, or absorbtion into kinetic energy.
 
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  • #2
Welcome to these Forums BigMacnFries! (Actually I can't stand them myself!)
Where is the Big Bang? we might ask, and the answer is everywhere! All points in space have expanded from the Big Bang equally, they have all expanded from each other, there is no centre, it is space itself that has expanded. Now the CMB has filled all space and radiated throughout it. The radiation is not 'ahead of us' but surrounding us. The universe is filled with a warm (if you call 2.7oK 'warm') bath of radiation and it comes to us equally from every direction (isotropically) -well not quite isotropic but that is another story!

I hope this helps,

Garth
 
  • #3
BigMacnFries said:
Problaby a silly thought but if the cosmic microwave backgroud radiation got created in the big bang and traveled outwards at the speed of light, and so did everything else, but traveled at less than the speed of light, would'nt it be "ahead" of us. Or alternatively if the radiation is absorbed and reemitted a lot does it get affected by fluorescense, or absorbtion into kinetic energy.
The CMBR is not like a gas in thermal equilibrium. Rather it is much like the light from a galaxy, or any other object. What we are seeing is highly redshifted radiation emitted by matter 300000 years after the big bang, just before this matter cooled enough to become transparent.

If you want to understand how the radiation can have taken so long to reach us then have a look at
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/cosmo_02.htm#DH
and
http://www.chronon.org/Articles/milne_cosmology.html
 
  • #4
Welcome to PF, BigMacnFries!
As noted above, the Big Bang was not an explosion of matter and energy into space. It was the rapid expansion of all-space. From the beginning, energy and the building blocks of matter were already everywhere throughout the universe. As space continued to expand, this 'plasma' cooled enough for the building blocks to form atoms (like hydrogen, helium). Then gravity pulled this matter together to form stars & galaxies...simultaneously throughout the universe. So, things were not shot out across the universe...rather, the state of the universe and the stuff in it changed over time.
 

1. What is cosmic background radiation?

Cosmic background radiation refers to a type of electromagnetic radiation that pervades the entire universe. It was first discovered in 1964 and is believed to be leftover radiation from the Big Bang, which is the event that is thought to have created the universe.

2. How was cosmic background radiation discovered?

Cosmic background radiation was discovered by two scientists, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, while conducting research with a large radio telescope. They noticed a persistent hissing noise that was present in all directions, which they later identified as cosmic background radiation.

3. What is the significance of cosmic background radiation?

Cosmic background radiation is significant because it provides evidence for the Big Bang theory and the origin of the universe. It also helps scientists understand the early stages of the universe and the formation of galaxies and other structures.

4. How does cosmic background radiation support the Big Bang theory?

The Big Bang theory predicts that the universe was once extremely hot and dense, and has since been expanding and cooling. Cosmic background radiation is the remnant heat from this expansion and can be observed as a faint glow in all directions, providing strong evidence for the Big Bang theory.

5. How is cosmic background radiation measured?

Cosmic background radiation is measured using instruments such as radio telescopes and satellites. These instruments are able to detect and measure the faint microwave radiation that makes up cosmic background radiation. Scientists also use data from these measurements to create maps of the radiation, which can provide insights into the age and structure of the universe.

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