WMAP tend to coincide with radio emissions from the Milky Way

In summary, Gerrit Verschuur from the University of Memphis has proposed a controversial idea that the temperature variations observed in the cosmic microwave background may actually be caused by hydrogen atoms in our own galaxy, rather than being proof of the early universe's evolution. However, this idea has been refuted by a study using wavelet analysis of WMAP and HI data, which found no statistically significant associations between the first acoustic peak hot spots and HI.
  • #1
jal
549
0
Have these papers been discused.
http://arxiv.org/abs/0704.1125
High Galactic Latitude Interstellar Neutral Hydrogen Structure and Associated (WMAP) High Frequency Continuum Emission
Authors: Gerrit L. Verschuur
(Submitted on 9 Apr 2007 (v1), last revised 23 Jul 2007 (this version, v2))

Tiny temperature variations found in maps of the cosmic microwave background are commonly thought to be proof that stars, galaxies and other large-scale structures grew from density perturbations in the early universe. But one physicist in the US is controversially claiming that these observed variations are in fact caused by hydrogen atoms in our own galaxy. If he is right, cosmologists will have to drastically rethink their models of the universe’s evolution.
Gerrit Verschuur, a physicist from the University of Memphis in the US, disagrees. He has noticed that the temperature variations recorded by WMAP tend to coincide with radio emissions from neutral hydrogen in the Milky Way. In other words, the fluctuations may not be part of the CMB at all (Astro. J. in publication; preprint available at arXiv.org:0704.1125v2).

http://arxiv.org/abs/0704.3021
On the Critical Ionization Velocity Effect in Interstellar Space and Possible Detection of Related Continuum Emission
Authors: Gerrit L. Verschuur
(Submitted on 23 Apr 2007)
 
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  • #2
An interesting paper, but also read this discussion in the CosmoCoffee forum , which concluded with this post by Richard Lieu (University of Alabama, Huntsville, Position: Professor of Physics,
Research Interests:clusters of galaxies & cosmology):
I performed an extensive study (with B. Z. Jiang, a PhD student of Prof. S.N. Zhang at Tsinghua, Beijing) using wavelet analysis of the WMAP and HI data, then cross comparing the number of close associations between the degree-scale wavelet hot spot centroids and HI clouds with that expected from simulated WMAP data where the hot spot locations are by definition randomized.

The verdict is that we found no statistically significant associations between the first acoustic peak hot spots and HI. We therefore cannot support the claim of Verschuur.

Garth
 
Last edited:
  • #3
For a laugh, you could also read v1 of the Verschuur paper (I think it's still available on arXiv), it contains some real howlers ...
 

What is WMAP?

WMAP stands for Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. It was a NASA space mission that aimed to map the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is the leftover radiation from the Big Bang.

How does WMAP coincide with radio emissions from the Milky Way?

The WMAP data showed that the cosmic microwave background radiation is not perfectly uniform, but has slight variations in temperature. These variations correspond to the distribution of matter in the universe, including the Milky Way. The radio emissions from the Milky Way also have a similar distribution, thus appearing to coincide with the WMAP data.

Why is it significant that WMAP coincides with radio emissions from the Milky Way?

The fact that WMAP and radio emissions from the Milky Way coincide suggests that the cosmic microwave background radiation is not only a remnant of the Big Bang, but also influenced by the structures in the universe, such as galaxies. This provides valuable insights into the evolution and formation of the universe.

What other objects in the universe coincide with the WMAP data?

In addition to the Milky Way, other galaxies and galaxy clusters also coincide with the WMAP data. This further supports the idea that the cosmic microwave background radiation is influenced by the large-scale structure of the universe.

How has WMAP helped us understand the universe?

By providing precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation, WMAP has helped scientists gain a better understanding of the universe's composition, age, and evolution. It has also confirmed the theory of the Big Bang and provided evidence for the existence of dark matter and dark energy.

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