Is there radiation colder than the CMBR?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) and the possibility of detecting radiation at temperatures lower than its approximate 2.5K. Participants, including Noel and Marcus, explore whether experiments like WMAP could identify colder radiation signatures. The consensus is that while lower energy, longer wavelength photons may exist, they would still conform to the established black body power spectrum, specifically the Wien peak. The conversation also touches on the potential for discovering unexpected features in the power spectrum, which could indicate new physics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR)
  • Familiarity with black body radiation and Wien's Law
  • Knowledge of power spectrum analysis in cosmology
  • Experience with experimental astrophysics, particularly using instruments like WMAP and COBE
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  • Research the specifics of the Wien displacement law and its implications for black body radiation.
  • Explore the methodologies used in the WMAP and COBE experiments for measuring cosmic radiation.
  • Investigate the concept of dark radiation and its potential implications in cosmology.
  • Study the differences between energy and power in the context of electromagnetic radiation.
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysicists, and students of cosmology interested in the properties of cosmic radiation and the implications of the CMBR in understanding the universe's early conditions.

  • #31
I am wondering from the spectra, or the power curve is it possible to draw conclusions as to how that initial 'oscillation' started?

I hope I can explain what I mean, but if you start an oscillator, from a low energy state it may not achieve its operating frequency instantly, it would probably ramp up to the frequency, so you would have higher power levels in the lower frequencies.

IS the CMB and 'attack' or a 'decay' in nature, did it start at a low energy state and then start, or did it start at a very high energy state and decay.

I know it decays over time, but what about the point it was created, violin bow or guitar pluck?
 
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  • #32
Each atom/particle is its own oscillator, so there is no "initial" oscillation. The power curve is a result of the distribution of energy among all the oscillators, which, if graphed, would follow a similar curve as the power curve.
 

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