What is cosmic microwave background radiation

Subject : Physics

Question: What is cosmic microwave background radiation?

Expert Verified Solution:

Cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) is the remnant heat from the Big Bang, filling the universe with a faint glow of microwave radiation. This radiation is a critical piece of evidence supporting the Big Bang theory, as it represents the thermal radiation left over from the universe’s infancy. The CMB was first detected in 1965 by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, and its uniformity and slight fluctuations provide insights into the early universe’s structure and expansion. The radiation is remarkably uniform across the sky, with slight variations that indicate the seeds of galaxy formation. For further information, you can refer to the foundational research on the CMB and its role in cosmology, such as Penzias and Wilson’s original papers, or modern resources like NASA’s WMAP and Planck satellite missions, which have provided detailed maps of the CMB’s temperature fluctuations.

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