In the News:
"Ripples in the cosmic background"
http://www.physorg.com/news203086668.html
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Astronomers have discovered, however, that the (CMBR) radiation has very faint ripples and bumps in it, at a level of only about one part in one hundred thousand.
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These ripples reflect the architecture of the universe when the light was freed, and the subsequent cosmic structures (galaxies and clusters of galaxies) as the light passed by them on its journey through space and time. These ripples hold clues, therefore, to the early universe and how it has evolved, and are consequently among the top priorities of modern astronomy research.
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The smaller ones imposed on the light later, as it was scattered by galaxy clusters or other objects, are shorter and dimmer. Over the past few decades astronomers have been able to measure the larger ripples with great accuracy, and to use that information to substantiate and refine many details of the big bang scenario. The smaller bumps have been harder to pin down.
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The article is about how they've only just discovered that the fluctuation in ripple amplitudes is only about half of that previously measured - which is a pretty large difference.
It'll be interesting to see how this contributes to the story of the Universe's evolution, (post Big Bang).
Cheers
