Scientists from the University of California, Davis, and the South Pole Telescope, led by the University of Chicago, used observations of the cosmic microwave background collected by the telescope to probe the theoretical foundations of the Standard Model of cosmology.
The study, published on arXiv, provides new evidence supporting the validity of the model and suggests a new approach to calculating the Hubble constant.
The study focused on polarized light from the cosmic microwave background. This light, which first appeared 400,000 years after the Big Bang, continues to travel through the universe. The researchers analyzed the polarization of these photons, which allowed them to study important aspects of the early evolution of the universe and refine parameters related to its expansion, including the Hubble constant.
To get the precise results, the scientists used data collected by the South Pole Telescope in 2019 and 2020. During their observations, they covered 1,500 square degrees of sky, creating a large-scale map of the mass in the Universe. This study is the first to use only cosmic microwave polarization data, which makes it independent of previous studies based on the total intensity of light.
For further analysis, the scientists used the computing resources of the National Energy Research Computing Center in Berkeley. Using supercomputers, they tested what the polarization map should look like under ideal conditions, without distortions caused by gravitational lensing. This allows them to more accurately determine the structure of the mass that causes these distortions and to assess the effect of gravity on the path of light. Gravitational lensing distorts light coming to Earth, creating different images of different regions of the Universe. These distortions were used to create a map of the mass distribution that helps to study the structure and dynamics of the early Universe. Computer modeling made it possible to identify patterns that were confirmed during observations, increasing the accuracy of the calculations.
The study findings strengthen confidence in the Standard Model of cosmology and also provide new insight into the "Hubble voltage" mystery associated with differences in measurements of the Hubble constant using different methods. This approach, using polarization data, could become an important tool for future research in cosmology, as well as for a deeper understanding of the evolution of the Universe. | BGNES
