Cosmic Microwave
Background (CMB)
Cosmic Microwave Background
I. Origin
A. The CMB is ______________________ in the microwave region of
the EM spectrum that fills the universe. It is detected __________
___________. _______________ on a rabbit-ear TV is CMB
Radiation (CMBR).
B. The CMB was discovered in 1964 by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson
working on ______________________________________. They
were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery in 1978!
C. The early universe was _____________________ than it is today.
The hydrogen and helium existed in the form of a __________
________________________________. Light was ______
________ by the plasma and did not travel far. The universe was
filled with a type of fog.
D. _____________ after the creation of space and time, the
expanding universe cooled enough for _____________________
___________________. A universe filled with neutral atoms is no
longer a fog to electromagnetic radiation. _________________
__________. The CMB is light that has traveled to us from this era!
CMB is the earliest detectable light in the universe!!
Cosmic Microwave Background
I. Origin
A. The CMB is _electromagnetic radiation_ in the microwave region of
the EM spectrum that fills the universe. It is detected _uniformly in
all directions_. _1% of the static_ on a rabbit-ear TV is CMB
Radiation (CMBR).
B. The CMB was discovered in 1964 by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson
working on ______________________________________. They
were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery in 1978!
C. The early universe was _____________________ than it is today.
The hydrogen and helium existed in the form of a __________
________________________________. Light was ______
________ by the plasma and did not travel far. The universe was
filled with a type of fog.
D. _____________ after the creation of space and time, the
expanding universe cooled enough for _____________________
___________________. A universe filled with neutral atoms is no
longer a fog to electromagnetic radiation. _________________
__________. The CMB is light that has traveled to us from this era!
CMB is the earliest detectable light in the universe!!
Cosmic Microwave Background
I. Origin
A. The CMB is _electromagnetic radiation_ in the microwave region of
the EM spectrum that fills the universe. It is detected _uniformly in
all directions_. _1% of the static_ on a rabbit-ear TV is CMB
Radiation (CMBR).
B. The CMB was discovered in 1964 by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson
working on _microwave communications at Bell Laboratories_. They
were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery in 1978!*
C. The early universe was _____________________ than it is today.
The hydrogen and helium existed in the form of a __________
________________________________. Light was ______
________ by the plasma and did not travel far. The universe was
filled with a type of fog.
D. _____________ after the creation of space and time, the
expanding universe cooled enough for _____________________
___________________. A universe filled with neutral atoms is no
longer a fog to electromagnetic radiation. _________________
__________. The CMB is light that has traveled to us from this era!
CMB is the earliest detectable light in the universe!!
Cosmic Microwave Background
I. Origin
A. The CMB is _electromagnetic radiation_ in the microwave region of
the EM spectrum that fills the universe. It is detected _uniformly in
all directions_. _1% of the static_ on a rabbit-ear TV is CMB
Radiation (CMBR).
B. The CMB was discovered in 1964 by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson
working on _microwave communications at Bell Laboratories_. They
were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery in 1978!
C. The early universe was _____________________ than it is today.
The hydrogen and helium existed in the form of a __________
________________________________. Light was ______
________ by the plasma and did not travel far. The universe was
filled with a type of fog.
D. _____________ after the creation of space and time, the
expanding universe cooled enough for _____________________
___________________. A universe filled with neutral atoms is no
longer a fog to electromagnetic radiation. _________________
__________. The CMB is light that has traveled to us from this era!
CMB is the earliest detectable light in the universe!!
Cosmic Microwave Background
I. Origin
A. The CMB is _electromagnetic radiation_ in the microwave region of
the EM spectrum that fills the universe. It is detected _uniformly in
all directions_. _1% of the static_ on a rabbit-ear TV is CMB
Radiation (CMBR).
B. The CMB was discovered in 1964 by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson
working on _microwave communications at Bell Laboratories_. They
were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery in 1978!
C. The early universe was _much smaller and hotter_ than it is today.
The hydrogen and helium existed in the form of a _plasma (free
nuclei and electrons not bound together)_. Light was _quickly
absorbed_ by the plasma and did not travel far. The universe was
filled with a type of fog.
D. _____________ after the creation of space and time, the
expanding universe cooled enough for _____________________
___________________. A universe filled with neutral atoms is no
longer a fog to electromagnetic radiation. _________________
__________. The CMB is light that has traveled to us from this era!
CMB is the earliest detectable light in the universe!!
Cosmic Microwave Background
I. Origin
A. The CMB is _electromagnetic radiation_ in the microwave region of
the EM spectrum that fills the universe. It is detected _uniformly in
all directions_. _1% of the static_ on a rabbit-ear TV is CMB
Radiation (CMBR).
B. The CMB was discovered in 1964 by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson
working on _microwave communications at Bell Laboratories_. They
were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery in 1978!
C. The early universe was _much smaller and hotter_ than it is today.
The hydrogen and helium existed in the form of a _plasma (free
nuclei and electrons not bound together)_. Light was _quickly
absorbed_ by the plasma and did not travel far. The universe was
filled with a type of fog.
D. _380,000 years_ after the creation of space and time, the
expanding universe cooled enough for _nuclei to capture electrons
and form neutral atoms_. A universe filled with neutral atoms is no
longer a fog to electromagnetic radiation. _The universe became
transparent_. The CMB is light that has traveled to us from this era!
CMB is the earliest detectable light in the universe!!
II. What the CMB Tells Us
A. Precise measurements of cosmic microwave background radiation
are a critical piece to ____________________________. The
____________________ the CMB should exist. If the CMB did
not exist, the model would be incorrect.
B. A plot of the CMB versus wavelength shows ____________
________________ (also predicted). The curve corresponds to a
_____________________ (the temperature of the Universe!),
peaking at a ___________________.
C. ______ (Cosmic Background Explorer launched in 1989) and
_______ (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe launched in 2001)
are the two space-based satellites that have given us the most
detailed data on the CMB.
D. WMAP was ____________________ than COBE. WMAP took
measurements for ________ (ending in Sept 2010) located at ___
________________. ESA’s _______ satellite is _________
more sensitive than WMAP and will publish its first data in 2012.
II. What the CMB Tells Us
A. Precise measurements of cosmic microwave background radiation
are a critical piece to _verify today’s cosmological models_. The
_Big Bang model predicts_ the CMB should exist. If the CMB did
not exist, the model would be incorrect.
B. A plot of the CMB versus wavelength shows ____________
________________ (also predicted). The curve corresponds to a
_____________________ (the temperature of the Universe!),
peaking at a ___________________.
C. ______ (Cosmic Background Explorer launched in 1989) and
_______ (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe launched in 2001)
are the two space-based satellites that have given us the most
detailed data on the CMB.
D. WMAP was ____________________ than COBE. WMAP took
measurements for ________ (ending in Sept 2010) located at ___
________________. ESA’s _______ satellite is _________
more sensitive than WMAP and will publish its first data in 2012.
II. What the CMB Tells Us
A. Precise measurements of cosmic microwave background radiation
are a critical piece to _verify today’s cosmological models_. The
_Big Bang model predicts_ the CMB should exist. If the CMB did
not exist, the model would be incorrect.
B. A plot of the CMB versus wavelength shows _a near perfect
blackbody spectrum_ (also predicted). The curve corresponds to a
_temperature of 2.725 K_ (the temperature of the Universe!),
peaking at a _wavelength of 1.9 mm_. *
C. ______ (Cosmic Background Explorer launched in 1989) and
_______ (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe launched in 2001)
are the two space-based satellites that have given us the most
detailed data on the CMB.
D. WMAP was ____________________ than COBE. WMAP took
measurements for ________ (ending in Sept 2010) located at ___
________________. ESA’s _______ satellite is _________
more sensitive than WMAP and will publish its first data in 2012.
II. What the CMB Tells Us
A. Precise measurements of cosmic microwave background radiation
are a critical piece to _verify today’s cosmological models_. The
_Big Bang model predicts_ the CMB should exist. If the CMB did
not exist, the model would be incorrect.
B. A plot of the CMB versus wavelength shows _a near perfect
blackbody spectrum_ (also predicted). The curve corresponds to a
_temperature of 2.725 K_ (the temperature of the Universe!),
peaking at a _wavelength of 1.9 mm_.
C. ______ (Cosmic Background Explorer launched in 1989) and
_______ (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe launched in 2001)
are the two space-based satellites that have given us the most
detailed data on the CMB.
D. WMAP was ____________________ than COBE. WMAP took
measurements for ________ (ending in Sept 2010) located at ___
________________. ESA’s _______ satellite is _________
more sensitive than WMAP and will publish its first data in 2012.
II. What the CMB Tells Us
A. Precise measurements of cosmic microwave background radiation
are a critical piece to _verify today’s cosmological models_. The
_Big Bang model predicts_ the CMB should exist. If the CMB did
not exist, the model would be incorrect.
B. A plot of the CMB versus wavelength shows _a near perfect
blackbody spectrum_ (also predicted). The curve corresponds to a
_temperature of 2.725 K_ (the temperature of the Universe!),
peaking at a _wavelength of 1.9 mm_.
C. _COBE_ (Cosmic Background Explorer launched in 1989) and
_WMAP_ (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe launched in 2001)
are the two space-based satellites that have given us the most
detailed data on the CMB.*
D. WMAP was ____________________ than COBE. WMAP took
measurements for ________ (ending in Sept 2010) located at ___
________________. ESA’s _______ satellite is _________
more sensitive than WMAP and will publish its first data in 2012.
II. What the CMB Tells Us
A. Precise measurements of cosmic microwave background radiation
are a critical piece to _verify today’s cosmological models_. The
_Big Bang model predicts_ the CMB should exist. If the CMB did
not exist, the model would be incorrect.
B. A plot of the CMB versus wavelength shows _a near perfect
blackbody spectrum_ (also predicted). The curve corresponds to a
_temperature of 2.725 K_ (the temperature of the Universe!),
peaking at a _wavelength of 1.9 mm_.
C. _COBE_ (Cosmic Background Explorer launched in 1989) and
_WMAP_ (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe launched in 2001)
are the two space-based satellites that have given us the most
detailed data on the CMB.
D. WMAP was ____________________ than COBE. WMAP took
measurements for ________ (ending in Sept 2010) located at ___
________________. ESA’s _______ satellite is _________
more sensitive than WMAP and will publish its first data in 2012.
II. What the CMB Tells Us
A. Precise measurements of cosmic microwave background radiation
are a critical piece to _verify today’s cosmological models_. The
_Big Bang model predicts_ the CMB should exist. If the CMB did
not exist, the model would be incorrect.
B. A plot of the CMB versus wavelength shows _a near perfect
blackbody spectrum_ (also predicted). The curve corresponds to a
_temperature of 2.725 K_ (the temperature of the Universe!),
peaking at a _wavelength of 1.9 mm_.
C. _COBE_ (Cosmic Background Explorer launched in 1989) and
_WMAP_ (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe launched in 2001)
are the two space-based satellites that have given us the most
detailed data on the CMB.
D. WMAP was _45 times more sensitive_ than COBE. WMAP took
measurements for _9 years_ (ending in Sept 2010) located at _L2
(Lagrangian Point 2)_. ESA’s _Planck_ satellite is _10 times_
more sensitive than WMAP and will publish its first data in 2013.*
COBE
WMAP
PLANCK
III. Era of Precision Cosmology - Analysis of the WMAP data (along with
other data) have given us a precise picture of the universe:
A. Age of the Universe:
_______________________
B. Hubble Constant
________________________________
C. First Stars
____________________
D. Composition of the Universe
 Dark Energy
 Dark Matter
 Standard Matter
E. Geometry of the Universe
_______________
_______________
_______________
________________
(Exactly 1 = Flat Universe)
F. Other Observations:
 First observation of _______ before more of it was produced in
stars
 _____________________________________ (i.e. the
percentage of dark energy is growing with time)
III. Era of Precision Cosmology - Analysis of the WMAP data (along with
other data) have given us a precise picture of the universe:
A. Age of the Universe:
_13.798 ± 0.037 billion years_
B. Hubble Constant
________________________________
C. First Stars
____________________
D. Composition of the Universe
 Dark Energy
 Dark Matter
 Standard Matter
E. Geometry of the Universe
_______________
_______________
_______________
________________
(Exactly 1 = Flat Universe)
F. Other Observations:
 First observation of _______ before more of it was produced in
stars
 _____________________________________ (i.e. the
percentage of dark energy is growing with time)
III. Era of Precision Cosmology - Analysis of the WMAP data (along with
other data) have given us a precise picture of the universe:
A. Age of the Universe:
_ 13.798 ± 0.037 billion years_
B. Hubble Constant
_67.80 ± 0.77 km per sec per Mpc_
C. First Stars
____________________
D. Composition of the Universe
 Dark Energy
 Dark Matter
 Standard Matter
E. Geometry of the Universe
_______________
_______________
_______________
________________
(Exactly 1 = Flat Universe)
F. Other Observations:
 First observation of _______ before more of it was produced in
stars
 _____________________________________ (i.e. the
percentage of dark energy is growing with time)
III. Era of Precision Cosmology - Analysis of the WMAP data (along with
other data) have given us a precise picture of the universe:
A. Age of the Universe:
_ 13.798 ± 0.037 billion years_
B. Hubble Constant
_67.80 ± 0.77 km per sec per Mpc_
C. First Stars
_460 ± 80 million years_
D. Composition of the Universe
 Dark Energy
 Dark Matter
 Standard Matter
E. Geometry of the Universe
_______________
_______________
_______________
________________
(Exactly 1 = Flat Universe)
F. Other Observations:
 First observation of _______ before more of it was produced in
stars
 _____________________________________ (i.e. the
percentage of dark energy is growing with time)
III. Era of Precision Cosmology - Analysis of the WMAP data (along with
other data) have given us a precise picture of the universe:
A. Age of the Universe:
_ 13.798 ± 0.037 billion years_
B. Hubble Constant
_67.80 ± 0.77 km per sec per Mpc_
C. First Stars
_460 ± 80 million years_
D. Composition of the Universe
 Dark Energy
 Dark Matter
 Standard Matter
E. Geometry of the Universe
_68.3% ± 1.6%_
_26.8% ± 1.4%_
_4.9% ± 0.2%_ *
________________
(Exactly 1 = Flat Universe)
F. Other Observations:
 First observation of _______ before more of it was produced in
stars
 _____________________________________ (i.e. the
percentage of dark energy is growing with time)
III. Era of Precision Cosmology - Analysis of the WMAP data (along with
other data) have given us a precise picture of the universe:
A. Age of the Universe:
_ 13.798 ± 0.037 billion years_
B. Hubble Constant
_67.80 ± 0.77 km per sec per Mpc_
C. First Stars
_460 ± 80 million years_
D. Composition of the Universe
 Dark Energy
 Dark Matter
 Standard Matter
E. Geometry of the Universe
_68.3% ± 1.6%_
_26.8% ± 1.4%_
_4.9% ± 0.2%_
________________
(Exactly 1 = Flat Universe)
F. Other Observations:
 First observation of _______ before more of it was produced in
stars
 _____________________________________ (i.e. the
percentage of dark energy is growing with time)
III. Era of Precision Cosmology - Analysis of the WMAP data (along with
other data) have given us a precise picture of the universe:
A. Age of the Universe:
_ 13.798 ± 0.037 billion years_
B. Hubble Constant
_67.80 ± 0.77 km per sec per Mpc_
C. First Stars
_460 ± 80 million years_
D. Composition of the Universe
 Dark Energy
 Dark Matter
 Standard Matter
E. Geometry of the Universe
_68.3% ± 1.6%_
_26.8% ± 1.4%_
_4.9% ± 0.2%_
_1.0023 ± 0.0055_
(Exactly 1 = Flat Universe)*
F. Other Observations:
 First observation of _______ before more of it was produced in
stars
 _____________________________________ (i.e. the
percentage of dark energy is growing with time)
III. Era of Precision Cosmology - Analysis of the WMAP data (along with
other data) have given us a precise picture of the universe:
A. Age of the Universe:
_ 13.798 ± 0.037 billion years_
B. Hubble Constant
_67.80 ± 0.77 km per sec per Mpc_
C. First Stars
_460 ± 80 million years_
D. Composition of the Universe
 Dark Energy
 Dark Matter
 Standard Matter
E. Geometry of the Universe
_68.3% ± 1.6%_
_26.8% ± 1.4%_
_4.9% ± 0.2%_
_1.0023 ± 0.0055_
(Exactly 1 = Flat Universe)
F. Other Observations:
 First observation of _______ before more of it was produced in
stars
 _____________________________________ (i.e. the
percentage of dark energy is growing with time)
III. Era of Precision Cosmology - Analysis of the WMAP data (along with
other data) have given us a precise picture of the universe:
A. Age of the Universe:
_ 13.798 ± 0.037 billion years_
B. Hubble Constant
_67.80 ± 0.77 km per sec per Mpc_
C. First Stars
_460 ± 80 million years_
D. Composition of the Universe
 Dark Energy
 Dark Matter
 Standard Matter
E. Geometry of the Universe
_68.3% ± 1.6%_
_26.8% ± 1.4%_
_4.9% ± 0.2%_
_1.0023 ± 0.0055_
(Exactly 1 = Flat Universe)
F. Other Observations:
 First observation of _helium_ before more of it was produced in
stars
 _Dark energy is constant per volume of space_ (i.e. the
percentage of dark energy is growing with time)
Cosmic Microwave
Background (CMB)