Scientists have calculated the ancient signals that emerged just after the Big Bang.
These signals come from a long-lost cosmological phenomena known as ‘oscillons,’ the gravitational wave sources from just fractions of a second after the birth of the universe.
While oscillons have since disappeared, the gravitational waves they gave off have not, and the researchers say these can be used to look further into the history of the universe.
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In the study, the researchers found that the signals from the oscillon appears as a peak in a broad spectrum of gravitational waves. This, they say, reveals a much stronger signal than previously expected
In the study, the researchers found that the signals from the oscillon appears as a peak in a broad spectrum of gravitational waves.
This, they say, reveals a much stronger signal than previously expected.
The theoretical physicists from the University of Basel are investigating what’s known as the stochastic background of gravitational waves.
This is made up of gravitational waves from a large number of overlapping sources, creating a broad spectrum of frequencies.
The team calculated the predicted frequency ranges and intensities for the waves.
According to the researchers, the early universe was hot, and made up just a tiny, dense region.
‘Picture something about the size of a football,’ says Professor Stefan Antusch.
And, with everything compressed into such a small space, it was extremely turbulent.
Just after the Big Bang, it’s thought that the universe was dominated by a particle called the inflaton and its associated field.
The early universe was hot, and made up just a tiny, dense region. ‘Picture something about the size of a football,’ says Professor Stefan Antusch. In yellow, the image shows relic radiation, known as the cosmic microwave background, created in the Big Bang
This particle experienced fluctuations with ‘special properties.’
One such example is the oscillon – clumps of oscillating inflatons in a localized region of space.
According to the researchers, oscillons can be thought of as standing waves.
‘Although the oscillons have long since ceased to exist, the gravitational waves they emitted are omnipresent – and we can use them to look further into the past than ever before,’ Antusch says.
The researchers conducted numerical simulations, which allowed them to calculate the shape of the oscillon’s signal.
This revealed a pronounced ‘peak’ amidst the spectrum of gravitational waves.
‘We would not have thought before our calculations that oscillons could produce such a strong signal at a specific frequency,’ Antusch says.
The next step will be to prove the signals existence, they say, using detectors.