Besides the bigbang, are there other published theories about cosmic microwave

In summary, the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is a type of radiation that was detected using microwave wavelength satellites and is found everywhere. It is considered evidence of the Big Bang theory and no competing theories adequately explain it. The Steady State theory was originally proposed as an explanation for the CMB, but it is not as widely accepted as the Big Bang theory. Currently, there are no other known theories that attempt to explain the CMB, and it is generally viewed as a leftover artifact from the origin of the cosmos.
  • #1
land_of_ice
137
0
That explain cosmic microwave background ? Cosmic microwave background (referring to the hiss that was detected by Wilson and Penzias, using microwave wavelength satellites, and it is found everywhere) and it is evidence of the big bang, but is it evidence of anything else?
Are there other theories that explain what the cosmic microwave background is? Or do all of the theories attribute it to the big bang?
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
That's a good question..

I'd like to know the answer as well..
 
  • #3
Big bang theory required and predicted the cosmic microwave background radiation. No competing theory suitably accounts for the CMBR.
 
  • #4
Chronos said:
Big bang theory required and predicted the cosmic microwave background radiation. No competing theory suitably accounts for the CMBR.
What other explanations are there for CMBR?
 
  • #5
Steady state theory proposes the CMB is the sum of radiation provided by background stars out to infinity. This 'explanation' fails to account for the perfect blackbody spectrum of the CMB.
 
  • #6
Chronos said:
Steady state theory proposes the CMB is the sum of radiation provided by background stars out to infinity. This 'explanation' fails to account for the perfect blackbody spectrum of the CMB.
OK, but you didn't really answer the question..

You just sort of inverted the question, and then went forward.

I'm not asking what the "steady state" theory attempts to explain or doesn't..

I'm asking whether there are other explanations for the CMB..

For example, maybe there's a theory that says the CMB is caused by "radiation emitted from neutron stars and pulsars" (or some such thing).

I'm not saying this is necessarily the case, or that there is such a theory.

I'm just saying "substitute what you will" for the "underlined part above"...

In other words, there may be explanations for the CMB that have nothing to do w/ the origin of the cosmos. And if so, what are they?

Are there any?

Do they even exist?
 
  • #7
His answer to your underlined part was: Steady State Theory. He wasn't inverting the question, he was giving you the name of a theory which has an alternate explanation for the CMB (and then gave a reason why it's not as good a theory as the big bang).
 
  • #8
Strumphs said:
His answer to your underlined part was: Steady State Theory. He wasn't inverting the question, he was giving you the name of a theory which has an alternate explanation for the CMB (and then gave a reason why it's not as good a theory as the big bang).
No, the Steady State theory is a theory that attempts to explain the origin of the cosmos, not the background CMB.

A trip to wikipedia indicates that the Steady State theory was originated circa 1948, and the CMB was only discovered in 1964, so clearly the State State theory was not conceived as an explanation for CMB.

My question is: are there other theories out there which attempt to explain the CMB, besides the Big Bang?
 
  • #9
psholtz said:
No, the Steady State theory is a theory that attempts to explain the origin of the cosmos, not the background CMB.

A trip to wikipedia indicates that the Steady State theory was originated circa 1948, and the CMB was only discovered in 1964, so clearly the State State theory was not conceived as an explanation for CMB.

My question is: are there other theories out there which attempt to explain the CMB, besides the Big Bang?

Big Bang Theory is *also* a theory that explains the origin of the cosmos, like the Steady State Theory. It does not start out with the aim to explain the CMB, rather it predicts them and then observation confirms it. Steady State Theory as a theory of the origin of the cosmos then also tried to explain the CMB within its own framework.
 
  • #10
yenchin said:
Big Bang Theory is *also* a theory that explains the origin of the cosmos, like the Steady State Theory. It does not start out with the aim to explain the CMB, rather it predicts them and then observation confirms it. Steady State Theory as a theory of the origin of the cosmos then also tried to explain the CMB within its own framework.
So the long and the short of it is that no one ever tried to explain the CMB, other than as some artifact left over from the origin of the cosmos, correct?
 
  • #11
psholtz said:
So the long and the short of it is that no one ever tried to explain the CMB, other than as some artifact left over from the origin of the cosmos, correct?

Certainly people have tried to explain the CMB such as Fred Hoyle, when he was trying to resuscitate the Steady State Theory in light of the discovery of the CMB as in: http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1975ApJ...196..661H&data_type=PDF_HIGH&whole_paper=YES&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf [Broken].

That was before the fluctuations in the CMB and its Power Spectrum were discovered.

Garth
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #12
Garth said:
Certainly people have tried to explain the CMB such as Fred Hoyle, when he was trying to resuscitate the Steady State Theory in light of the discovery of the CMB as in: http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1975ApJ...196..661H&data_type=PDF_HIGH&whole_paper=YES&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf [Broken].

That was before the fluctuations in the CMB and its Power Spectrum were discovered.

Garth

I think the OP is seeking some other possible theories beside the one offered by Steady State Theory, but I don't know of any.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

1. What is the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and how was it discovered?

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is a faint glow that permeates the entire observable universe, consisting of microwave radiation with a temperature of approximately 2.7 Kelvin. It was discovered in 1964 by two scientists, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, who were using a radio telescope to study radio waves from space. They noticed a constant, low-level noise that was present no matter where they pointed the telescope, and after ruling out all possible sources of interference, they concluded that it was coming from all directions in the sky, indicating the presence of a universal background radiation.

2. How does the CMB support the Big Bang theory?

The CMB is considered one of the strongest pieces of evidence for the Big Bang theory. According to the theory, the universe began as a hot, dense state and has been expanding and cooling ever since. As the universe expanded, the radiation in it also cooled, and today it exists as the CMB. The temperature and pattern of the CMB closely match what is predicted by the Big Bang theory, providing strong support for the idea that the universe began with a hot, dense state and has been expanding for billions of years.

3. Are there other theories besides the Big Bang that can explain the CMB?

There are alternative theories to the Big Bang that can also explain the existence of the CMB. For example, the Steady State theory proposes that the universe has always existed in a constant state and does not have a beginning or an end. This theory suggests that the CMB is the result of the continuous creation of matter throughout the universe. However, the overwhelming majority of scientists and evidence support the Big Bang theory as the most accurate explanation for the CMB.

4. Can the CMB tell us about the early universe?

Yes, the CMB can give us valuable information about the early universe. The CMB carries imprints of the conditions of the universe when it was just 380,000 years old, which is about 13.8 billion years ago. By studying the temperature and pattern of the CMB, scientists can learn about the composition, density, and expansion rate of the early universe, providing insight into how it evolved and developed into the universe we see today.

5. How is the CMB used in current scientific research?

The CMB is an essential tool in modern cosmology and astrophysics research. Scientists use data from the CMB to study the large-scale structure of the universe, such as the distribution of galaxies and galaxy clusters. They also use the CMB to test and refine theories about the origin and evolution of the universe, including inflation theory and dark matter and dark energy. Additionally, the CMB is used to study the cosmic web, the network of filaments and voids that make up the large-scale structure of the universe.

Similar threads

Replies
13
Views
2K
Replies
39
Views
3K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
2
Views
308
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
4
Views
1K
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
912
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Cosmology
Replies
4
Views
1K
Back
Top