. 24/7 Space News .
TIME AND SPACE
A hint of new physics in polarized radiation from the early Universe
by Staff Writers
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 26, 2020

As the light of the cosmic microwave background emitted 13.8 billion years ago (left image) travels through the Universe until observed on Earth (right image), the direction in which the electromagnetic wave oscillates (orange line) is rotated by an angle ss. The rotation could be caused by dark matter or dark energy interacting with the light of the cosmic microwave background, which changes the patterns of polarization (black lines inside the images). The red and blue regions in the images show hot and cold regions of the cosmic microwave background, respectively. (Credit: Y. Minami / KEK)

Using Planck data from the cosmic microwave background radiation, an international team of researchers has observed a hint of new physics. The team developed a new method to measure the polarization angle of the ancient light by calibrating it with dust emission from our own Milky Way. While the signal is not detected with enough precision to draw definite conclusions, it may suggest that dark matter or dark energy causes a violation of the so-called "parity symmetry."

The laws of physics governing the Universe are thought not to change when flipped around in a mirror. For example, electromagnetism works the same regardless of whether you are in the original system, or in a mirrored system in which all spatial coordinates have been flipped. If this symmetry, called "parity," is violated, it may hold the key to understanding the elusive nature of dark matter and dark energy, which occupy 25 and 70 percent of the energy budget of the Universe today, respectively. While both dark, these two components have opposite effects on the evolution of the Universe: dark matter attracts, while dark energy causes the Universe to expand ever faster.

A new study, including researchers from the Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies (IPNS) at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) of the University of Tokyo, and the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), reports on a tantalizing hint of new physics-with 99.2 percent confidence level - which violates parity symmetry. Their findings were published in the journal Physical Review Letters on November 23, 2020; the paper was selected as the "Editors' Suggestion," judged by editors of the journal to be important, interesting, and well written.

The hint to a violation of parity symmetry was found in the cosmic microwave background radiation, the remnant light of the Big Bang. The key is the polarized light of the cosmic microwave background. Light is a propagating electromagnetic wave. When it consists of waves oscillating in a preferred direction, physicists call it "polarized." The polarization arises when the light is scattered. Sunlight, for instance, consists of waves with all possible oscillating directions; thus, it is not polarized.

The light of a rainbow, meanwhile, is polarized because the sunlight is scattered by water droplets in the atmosphere. Similarly, the light of the cosmic microwave background initially became polarized when scattered by electrons 400,000 years after the Big Bang. As this light traveled through the Universe for 13.8 billion years, the interaction of the cosmic microwave background with dark matter or dark energy could cause the plane of polarization to rotate by an angle ss (Figure).

"If dark matter or dark energy interact with the light of the cosmic microwave background in a way that violates parity symmetry, we can find its signature in the polarization data," points out Yuto Minami, a postdoctoral fellow at IPNS, KEK.

To measure the rotation angle ss, the scientists needed polarization-sensitive detectors, such as those onboard the Planck satellite of the European Space Agency (ESA). And they needed to know how the polarization-sensitive detectors are oriented relative to the sky. If this information was not known with sufficient precision, the measured polarization plane would appear to be rotated artificially, creating a false signal. In the past, uncertainties over the artificial rotation introduced by the detectors themselves limited the measurement accuracy of the cosmic polarization angle ss.

"We developed a new method to determine the artificial rotation using the polarized light emitted by dust in our Milky Way," said Minami. "With this method, we have achieved a precision that is twice that of the previous work, and are finally able to measure ss." The distance traveled by the light from dust within the Milky Way is much shorter than that of the cosmic microwave background. This means that the dust emission is not affected by dark matter or dark energy, i.e. ss is present only in the light of the cosmic microwave background, while the artificial rotation affects both. The difference in the measured polarization angle between both sources of light can thus be used to measure ss.

The research team applied the new method to measure ss from the polarization data taken by the Planck satellite. They found a hint for violation of parity symmetry with 99.2 percent confidence level.

To claim a discovery of new physics, much greater statistical significance, or a confidence level of 99.99995 percent, is required. Eiichiro Komatsu, director at the MPA and Principal Investigator at the Kavli IPMU, said: "It is clear that we have not found definitive evidence for new physics yet; higher statistical significance is needed to confirm this signal. But we are excited because our new method finally allowed us to make this 'impossible' measurement, which may point to new physics."

To confirm this signal, the new method can be applied to any of the existing- and future-experiments measuring polarization of the cosmic microwave background, such as Simons Array and LiteBIRD, in which both KEK and the Kavli IPMU are involved.

Research paper


Related Links
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)
Understanding Time and Space


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


TIME AND SPACE
NASA's Roman Space Telescope to Uncover Echoes of the Universe's Creation
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Nov 19, 2020
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will detect vestiges of sound waves that once rippled through the primordial cosmic sea. According to new simulations, Roman's observations could extend these measurements into an unprobed epoch between the universe's infancy and the present day. Studying the echoes from this era will help us trace the evolution of the universe and solve pressing cosmic conundrums. Sound waves from the nascent universe, called baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs), left their ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

TIME AND SPACE
A new doorway to space

ISS crew successfully patched hull crack Roscosmos confirms

Resolving mysteries about the first stellar parallaxes and distances

Home away from home planet

TIME AND SPACE
Skyrora conducts vacuum chamber engine tests to replicate space-like conditions

NASA and SpaceX "Go" for Dec. 5 Cargo Resupply Launch

NASA's 'super cool' engineers rehearse rocket fueling for Artemis I

SpaceX uses booster seventh time on Starlink launch

TIME AND SPACE
'Conscientiousness' key to team success during space missions

MOXIE could help future rockets launch off Mars

Hear audio from Perseverance as it travels through deep space

Field geology at Mars' equator points to ancient megaflood

TIME AND SPACE
China to Begin Construction of Its Space Station Next Year

Moon mission tasked with number of firsts for China

China's space tracking ship sails for Chang'e 5 mission

China Focus: 18 reserve astronauts selected for China's manned space program

TIME AND SPACE
Major funding package pledged for UK Space Centre of Excellence in Ayrshire, Scotland

UK government secures satellite network OneWeb

Ten satellites to be built in Glasgow in next three years

SpaceX's Starlink satellites are about to ruin stargazing for everyone

TIME AND SPACE
The "Workspace Of The Future," Carnegie's VizLab Will Unlock The Secrets Of The Universe

Astroscale announces March 2021 Launch Date for Debris Removal Demonstration

China launches antenna array for Mars, moon missions

Cracking the secrets of an emerging branch of physics

TIME AND SPACE
Here's Looking at You, MKID

A terrestrial-mass planet on the run?

A planet-forming disk still fed by the mother cloud

New Interdisciplinary Consortium for Astrobiology Research

TIME AND SPACE
Swedish space instrument participates in the search for life around Jupiter

Researchers model source of eruption on Jupiter's moon Europa

Radiation Does a Bright Number on Jupiter's Moon

New plans afoot beyond Pluto









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.