March 21, 2013

expert reaction to Planck satellite and cosmic microwave background

The Plank satellite captured a map of light originating from the dawn of time, which suggests the universe did begin with a big bang and that it is slightly older than was previously thought.

Professor Richard Davis, who led the University of Manchester Planck team, said:

“The information extracted from Planck’s new map provides excellent confirmation of the standard model of cosmology with unprecedented accuracy and sets a new benchmark for our knowledge of the ingredients of the Universe.

“But because the precision of Planck’s map is so high, it has also revealed some unexplained anomalies in the data that require further study. Among these interesting findings are fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background over large scales that do not match what the standard model of physics predicts, including an asymmetry in the average temperatures on opposite hemispheres of the skies.”

Professor Richard Battye, from the Jodrell Bank Centre of Astrophysics at The University of Manchester and part of the Manchester Planck team, said:

“Planck has provided us with a huge amount of information about the nature of the very early Universe and the fundamental processes taking place there. The data are broadly consistent with the standard picture that has emerged over the last 20 years, but there are also a number of tantalizing hints that there is something missing in our understanding. It will be fun trying to figure out what is going on.”