The early stage of the formation of the Universe remains largely a mystery to modern science. But in a new study published in the journal Nature, the researchers gave convincing arguments when it began to form the first stars. After the Big Bang that occurred approximately 13.7 billion years ago, the universe was dark, hot and filled with elementary particles of high energy. After 380,000 years, the universe cooled down enough that it could be photons. It then came first the cosmic microwave background (KMF), through which scientists were able to learn more about the origin of the Universe.
The researchers suggested that examining the intensity of the cosmic microwave background, you can set the time when started to appear the first stars. When the stars begin to form, they heat the hydrogen gas pervading the Universe. Heated, the gas absorbs the KMF, with the result that its intensity falls. To detect such differences with traditional telescopes is impossible, but here science comes to the aid of radio signals. However, the signals are so weak that they easily overcome any noise that can sometimes be tens of thousands of times stronger. As one of the researchers: “the Search of such signals is similar to as if you, while in the midst of a hurricane, tried to hear in all of this roar, the sound of the wings of the Hummingbird.”
However, such difficulties did not stop the scientists. A team of researchers from the University of Arizona and mit have decided to detect signals of early star formation, and, incredible as it may sound, they got it. And they did all of this using relatively small antennas (pictured below). The antenna installed in one of the Australian deserts, because in such places it is possible to minimize interference from radio signals, created by man. For the first time fortune smiled on scientists in 2016. It was then reported the first drop in the intensity of KMF. According to the data obtained, we can conclude that the first stars formed about 180 million years after the Big Bang.
“It’s very exciting, because for the first time, we managed at least one eye to look into an important period of formation of our Universe. It then began to form the first stars and galaxies. This is the first time when science has received direct observational data from that era,” — shared his emotions Director of the Observatory Colin Lonsdale Haystack.
A team of researchers spent more than a year, confirming its own conclusions on the basis of the received signals. The antenna position was varied, used a different calibration of measuring instruments. But the signal was observed every time, while it was two times more intense than originally expected. This proves that the hydrogen in the early Universe was much colder than previously thought. Researcher Rennes Barkan of tel Aviv University argues that to explain the colder the Universe may be dark matter.
The resulting research data still needs to be confirmed by other experts in the field. However, many scientists have had time to see the results of the experiment, experts from MIT and the University of Arizona, I believe the opening is a pull on one, and sometimes two Nobel prizes. First prize a scientist can be awarded for establishing the age of the first stars, and the second for discovery, associated with cooler hydrogen and dark matter that is able to expand the existing standard physical model. To see the results of the research at this link.
Scientists caught the signals from the first stars in the Universe
Sergey Grey