Palomilla… or universe

2019/10/01 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Astrofisika

400

G in the 40's. Gamow and other scientists were trying to demonstrate the Big Bang theory. According to this theory, a huge energy was released in the formation of the Universe, which today would be in the form of a weak thermal radiation, throughout the Universe, its rest: the so-called cosmic radiation from the background. They sought him, but at first they found no indication of that residue.

R. R. 1964 Wilson (1936- ) and A. While radio astronomers Penzias (1933-) studied radio waves, they discovered a background noise they could not define. Thinking it was for the palomito, they cleaned the antenna of the entire dock… but in vain. How was that cursed noise coming from anywhere?

Penzias by chance, B. Burke told the radio astronomer and Burke (by chance!) He told him that physicists Dicke and Peebles were looking for the fossil radiation of the Big Bang. That demon noise?

Dick and Peebles, when analyzing the antenna of the previous ones, made it clear: “One of them is that what we are seeing is the jet of dove or the birth of the Universe.” Literally. The second was the correct one.

Penzias and Wilson published what they found, without great ideas about what demontres that interference was… and they were given the Nobel Prize! On the other hand, Dick and Peebles, despite understanding and reasoning everything, only achieved good words.

A curious luck: when less is expected, you can go from the mango to the birth of the Universe almost without realizing it. And as a dessert, the Nobel!