Natasha Flower’s Comps Presentation
Friday, March 4th
3:30 pm in Olin 141
The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is the thermal radiation that is left over from events early on in the history of the universe. Its discovery in the 1960’s was crucial to the acceptance of the Big Bang Theory. Continued improvements in sensitivity since the initial discovery have allowed us to gain even more insight into some of the most fundamental aspects of our universe. This talk will cover some background concepts necessary to understanding the formation of the CMB, including the Doppler effect, the expansion of the universe, and blackbody radiation. We will then build off of these concepts to explain the events early on in the universe that created the CMB.