Cosmic cold spot is 'defect' in the universe Oct 27, 2007
Since 2001, scientists have been able to examine the CMB with unprecedented clarity using the Microwave Anisotropy Probe, a NASA satellite mapping the background radiation. Using this data, researchers led by Cruz, have now examined one of the larger and more striking of the cold spots, and modelled its possible evolution using statistics and computer simulations. (Cosmos)
> read more Oct 26, 2007
Still, cosmology detectives have largely built their current view of the early universe's structure, content, and evolution on these temperature maps, especially the all-sky map produced by NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). That seems fair enough, since the WMAP results nicely fit other observational evidence from satellites, balloon-borne experiments, and detectors on the ground and with many known properties of the universe we live in today. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Balloon takes telescope to great heights Oct 26, 2007
Boomerang, a balloon released over the Antarctica in 1998, mapped the cosmic microwave background radiation and hinted that the Universe was 'flat' long before NASA's arguably more famous and more expensive 2001 Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe mission (see ). Of course, there are disadvantages to balloons. (Nature News Service)
NASA Concludes Successful FUSE Mission Oct 20, 2007
"FUSE showed that less deuterium has been burned in stars over cosmic time, in agreement with modern models for the evolution of the galaxy and the recent Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe results," said Warren Moos, FUSE principal investigator, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. - FUSE saw that an atmosphere of very hot gas surrounds the Milky Way. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
iPods, Better laptops Stemmed from Nobel Prize Discovery Oct 10, 2007
"More background about the discovery is available .Last year, the prize went to and "for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation. "The real Nobel Prizes are being announced a week after the quirky s for weird science were announced at . Research into the mystery of wrinkles on bed sheets, the bottomless bowl of soup and the effect of on hamster jet lag dominated those awards.For more on network-oriented research, read our . For more... (PC World)
About the Nobel Prize in physics Oct 10, 2007
- 2006: John C. Mather and George F. Smoot, for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation. - 2005: Roy J. Glauber, for his contribution to the quantum theory of optical coherence, and John L. Hall and Theodor W. Hansch, for their contributions to the development of laser-based precision spectroscopy, including the optical frequency comb technique. (Herald Online, SC -- Health)
IBM Opens New Doors to Quantum Computing Sep 3, 2007
Its called magnetic anisotropy and until now it has been a mystery for all scientists ... Magnetic anisotropy is the most important property of magnetic materials, from both technological and fundamental point of view ... Depending on the type of application, materials with high, medium or low magnetic anisotropy will be required for building permanent magnets, information storage media or magnetic cores in transformers and magnetic recording heads. (eFluxMedia (press release))
IBM:lt merkittvi nanotekniikan lpimurtoja Sep 3, 2007
In the first report, IBM scientists describe major progress in probing a property called magnetic anisotropy in individual atoms ... Previously, nobody had been able to measure the magnetic anisotropy of a single atom ... THE SCIENCE OF THE SMALL: UNDERSTANDING THE MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF ATOMS In the paper entitled Large Magnetic Anisotropy of a Single Atomic Spin Embedded in a Surface Molecular Network, the researchers used IBMs special scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to manipulate... (TIEKE Tietoyhteiskunnan Kehitt?miskekus ry)
Atom clusters could store thousands of movies, says IBM Aug 31, 2007
Recommend article:San Jose (CA) IBM researchers today said that they were able to probe magnetic anisotropy in individual atoms, potentially opening the development of a new kind of data storage devices ... In its first report, IBM scientists describe progress in probing a property called magnetic anisotropy in individual atoms ... Previously, nobody had been able to measure the magnetic anisotropy of a single atom. (TG Daily)
IBM's Computing Breakthrough Promises Chips The Size Of Dust Aug 31, 2007
In the paper entitled the scientists describe how they used a special scanning tunneling microscope that operates at half a degree above absolute zero to measure the orientation and strength of the magnetic anisotropy of single iron atoms. Anisotropy is a property that determines "how happy an atom is to point in a certain direction," explained Heinrich. (Yahoo News -- Technology)
IBM measures single-atom memory, molecular switch Aug 31, 2007
Magnetic anisotropy a measurement of the ability of a media type to retain a bit is the most important parameter for next generation perpendicular recording media. "We have been able to measure the same property for a single magnetic atom," said Andreas Heinrich, manager of the scanning tunneling microscopy lab at "We can literally take one atom, measure its magnetic anisotropy, put another atom next to it, see how that affects the first atom's magnetic anisotropy and from there learn how to... (EETimes)
Cosmic Fingerprint Aug 28, 2007
But much of the wobble has been fixed, thanks to a satellite known as the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, or WMAP. Since July 2001, WMAP has been orbiting in deep space, a million miles from Earth, studying the most ancient light in existence. And in a dramatic reminder that important space science is almost always done by machines, not fragile humans, it reported a series of precision measurements last week that will finally put cosmology on a firm foundation. (Time.com)
Braid it like Beckham and risk losing hair Aug 27, 2007
Writing in the Astrophysical Journal, Rudnick and colleagues Shea Brown and Liliya Williams said they were examining a cold spot using the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe satellite, and found the giant hole. We already knew there was something different about this spot in the sky, Rudnick said. (Peninsula On-line)
Torch River Resources Ltd.: Red Bird Molybdenum Resource Increased by 40% Aug 27, 2007
Semivariograms produced on 5 m composites showed a geometric anisotropy for both Mo and Cu elongated in the E-W direction. A block model with blocks 20 x 20 x 10 m was superimposed on the mineralized zones and Mo and Cu were interpolated into the blocks using ordinary kriging. (CCNMatthews Press Releases)
Gaping "Hole" in the Sky Found, Experts Say Aug 25, 2007
This dark patch where the sky appears "cooler" is known as the "WMAP cold spot," named after the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe satellite that mapped the radiation in 2003. Continued on. (National Geographic)
Huge hole in universe surprises astronomers Aug 24, 2007
Two views of the hole in the universe: The left view shows a cold spot within the circle on a color-coded image of the full-sky cosmic microwave background, as seen by NASAs Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. The right view shows the same region on the Very Large Array Sky Survey, with blue indicating low radio emissions. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Earth's Core More Complex Than Thought: Atoms Form Layers Of Spiral Patterns Aug 22, 2007
"It has implications for the anisotropy of the core," says Dubrovinsky ... The way the atoms pack in the core is vital for understanding this anisotropy. (Science Daily)
Switching perpendicular recordings can strengthen domain walls Aug 7, 2007
Using a designer material with strong anisotropy, the researchers demonstrated how to magnetic domains from permanent to erasable by applying a longitudinal magnetic field to modulate the domain-walls' strength ... Using an orthogonal magnet to switch a perpendicular domain wall from hard/permanent to soft/erasable is a new idea, according to Aeppli, and can only be performed with certain magnetic formulae with strong anisotropy, such as those used for perpendicular hard-disk media ... "The... (EETimes)
New Engineered Polyolefin Exhibits Lowest Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion (CLTE) of Any Material Ever Developed by Solvay Engineered Polymers, Inc. Jul 11, 2007
"The new SEQUEL 1828 material can now compete with 30% glass-filled polyurethane (TPU). It may even merit consideration against glass-filled nylon in some applications. In addition, this engineered polyolefin exhibits less anisotropy than glass- filled materials, so its shrink and CLTE performance are not so dependent on directional orientation." Among the advantages the new material enjoys over glass-filled materials are its efficient and economical processing characteristics. "In injection... (PR Newswire)
Study Evaluates Brain Lesions Of Older Patients Jul 11, 2007
"These hyperintensities are seen in most everyone as we age, although they can be more severe in some than others, said Warren Taylor, MD, lead author of the study. "We feel they're important as greater severity of these lesions is associated with a number of conditions including dementia and memory problems, depression, risk of falls, incontinence, and even higher mortality," he said.The study consisted of 82 patients age 60 and older who were not depressed and had no history of neurologic... (Science Daily)
Scientists try to see back before the big bang Jul 3, 2007
NASA/WMAP Science TeamThe Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe provided this full-sky map of the big bang's afterglow, color-coded to reflect slight fluctuations in temperature. "It came as a big surprise that some properties of the universe before the Big Bang may have only such a weak influence on current observations that they are practically undetermined," Bojowald said of findings detailed online July 1 in the journal Nature Physics. (MSNBC -- Technology)
NASA's New Cosmic Phenomena Office Jun 29, 2007
The Beyond Einstein spacecraft will build on such current NASA missions as the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory and Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
NASA Establishes New Office To Study Cosmic Phenomena Jun 28, 2007
The Beyond Einstein spacecraft will build on such current NASA missions as the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory and Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (Science Daily)
New Picture Of Earth's Lower Mantle Jun 23, 2007
But the nature of D" has eluded scientists since Bullen's discovery."Our team found," says McNamara, "that while post-perovskite has some properties that fit what's known about D", our laboratory measurements and computer models show that post-perovskite doesn't fit one particular essential property." That property is seismic anisotropy, he says, referring to the fact that earthquake waves passing through D" become distorted in a characteristic way.McNamara explains, "Down in the D" layer, the... (Science Daily)
Professors named to top honor societies May 7, 2007
Recently, Spergel has done research relating to the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite, which was launched in 2001 and gauges the temperature of the cosmic background radiation. Because it measures the heat from the Big Bang, the WMAP might help answer questions about the origin of the universe. (The Daily Princetonian, NJ)
Was Einstein Right? Scientists Provide First Public Peek At Gravity Probe B Results Apr 18, 2007
Furthermore, some technologies that were designed at Stanford for use in GP-B, such as the porous plug that controlled the escape of helium gas from the dewar, enabled and were used in other NASA experiments such as COBE (the COsmic Background Explorer, which won this year's Nobel prize) WMAP (for Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) and the Spitzer Space Telescope. The experiment's final result is expected upon completion of the data analysis this December. (Science Daily)
April Geosphere media highlights Apr 12, 2007
Keywords: X-ray tomography, aspect ratio, anisotropy, cluster analysis, shape analysis. The statistics of grain orientations is an important clue to a variety of geological problems. (EurekAlert!)
Physicist makes string theory sexy Mar 23, 2007
NASAThis graph charts data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe and other studies of the cosmic microwave background, showing several peaks in the data. Careful analysis of "wiggles" in the peaks could reflect the physics of string theory, Greene says. (MSNBC -- Technology)
'Microsieve' Device Promises To Speed Up Separation, Sorting Of Proteins Feb 23, 2007
The chip is designed with a network of microfluidic channels surrounding the sieve, and the anisotropy (directional property) in the sieve causes proteins of different sizes to follow distinct migration trajectories, leading to efficient continuous-flow separation. The current sieve has an array of nanofluidic filters of about 55 nanometers, or billionths of a meter, wide. (Science Daily)
NASA's THEMIS Mission Launched To Study Geomagnetic Substorms Feb 20, 2007
The Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) began its journey to answer fundamental questions about the history. . (Science Daily)
Introducing the 'coolest' spacecraft in the universe Feb 10, 2007
Planck will build on the heritage of previous NASA CMB missions Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) and Wilkinson Map Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) - the latter of which is still operating. Professor George Smoot, lead scientist for COBE, who was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on cosmic microwave background, is a co-investigator on Planck. (EurekAlert!)
Univ. of Wisconsin researchers unwind test for string theory Feb 7, 2007
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), for which the team received a 2006 Nobel Prize, has the most accurate data about the background of cosmic energy in the universe. Unfortunately, that data is not accurate enough to prove the case for string theory. (EETimes)
Satellite prepares to go super-cold Feb 4, 2007
Another US spacecraft, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMap), was launched in 2001 ... 45C Cobe showed the CMB's profile to follow a predicted distribution - a so-called blackbody curve Cobe mapped tiny temperature fluctuations (mottled colours, top) in the CMB These fluctuations (anisotropy) correspond to the early distribution of matter The data informs scientists about the age, geometry and fate of the cosmos Images from the more advanced WMap probe show finer detail (bottom) The... (BBC News -- Science)
Physicists find way to 'see' extra dimensions Feb 3, 2007
The energy, captured by satellites such as NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), has persisted virtually unchanged for the last 13 billion years, making the energy map basically "a snapshot of the baby universe," Shiu says. The WMAP experiment is the successor to NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) project, which garnered the 2006 Nobel Prize in physics. (EurekAlert!)
Schlumberger Announces Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2006 Results Jan 19, 2007
The model will enable improved wellbore instability forecasting; evaluation of reservoir compaction during production; initiation or reactivation of faults; analysis of rock anisotropy, stress orientations and magnitudes; and quantification of alteration around the borehole. In Tunisia, the CarboKEY(*) service, a Schlumberger proprietary fluid system designed for high-temperature carbonate reservoirs, exceeded customer expectations when used in a matrix stimulation treatment that tripled gas... (Canada Newswire)
The Universe's Invisible Hand Jan 15, 2007
This striking result has since been cross-checked by independent studies of the cosmic microwave background radiation by, for example, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). Dark energy may be the key link among several aspects of galaxy formation that used to appear unrelated. (Scientific American)
SIM PlanetQuest To Predict Date Of Cosmic Collision Jan 13, 2007
(June 13, 2001) -- The Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP), scheduled for launch June 30, will journey into deep space on a voyage to explore some of the deepest mysteries of the cosmos. . (Science Daily)
Top Stories of the Year from NASA Jan 1, 2007
Mather and George Smoot of the University of California at Berkeley were recognized for "their discovery of the black body form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation." Mather coordinated the science work of NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer satellite, which helped validate the big-bang theory of the origin of the universe. For more information, visit. (BBSNews)
The Top 13 Space Stories of 2006 Dec 27, 2006
For five years, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) has been mapping cosmic microwave background radiation, the ubiquitous afterglow of the Big Bang. In March, the WMAP team released new data that provide the most detailed snapshot of what the universe was like as a trillionth-of-a-second-old newborn. (Discover Magazine)
January-February 2007 GSA BULLETIN media highlights Dec 6, 2006
Keywords: extension tectonics, Calabria, Italy, paleomagnetism, magnetic susceptibility, anisotropy, neutron diffraction analysis. The Mediterranean region represents a difficult but intriguing study area for geologists. (EurekAlert!)
Complex order parameter in ruthenate superconductors confirmed Nov 28, 2006
Unconventional superconductors, however, have anisotropy in either or both the phase and magnitude of the order parameter. Ten years ago, Van Harlingens group pioneered the Josephson interferometer technique that showed the high-temperature superconducting cuprates had d-wave symmetry. (EurekAlert!)
Scientists Examine Dark Energy of Antigravity Nov 18, 2006
By combining these supernova results with data from other experiments like s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, Dr. Reiss and his colleagues could begin to address the evolution of dark energy. Thats one of the $64,000 questions, he said. (New York Times)
AGU journal highlights -- Oct. 26, 2006 Oct 27, 2006
Title: "Evaluation of a planetary boundary layer subgrid-scale model that accounts for near-surface turbulence anisotropy". Authors: Philippe Drobinski: Institut Pierre Simon Laplace/Service d'Aronomie, Universit Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France. (EurekAlert!)
Now that's a bitter pill Oct 10, 2006
Scientists in Italy base their proposal off data gathered by a NASA satellite known as the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). This spacecraft is designed to scan the sky and measure the temperature of the heat left over from the Big Bang and now present throughout the universe in the form of microwaves. (USA Today -- Tech)
* Taiwan Quick Take: AMiBA telescope ready Oct 9, 2006
An array for microwave background anisotropy (AMiBA) radio telescope array on Mauna Loa, Hawaii, is ready for operation, the Academia Sinica said yesterday. The research institution's Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics plans to establish seven interferometers by the end of this year and add another six units next year. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Nobel Prize goes to Big Bang theory! Oct 7, 2006
VOL NO REGD NO DA 1589. Saturday, October 07, 2006. (Financial Express.bd)
Forget the Big Bang it's more a Deep Hum Oct 6, 2006
Cramer bases his model on temperature data sent by a NASA satellite, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). His calculation is based on the frequencies that rampaged through the Universe during its first 760,000 years, when it was a cosmic stripling measuring just 18 million light years across. (Ninemsn)
Nobel winners rewrite history Oct 5, 2006
COBE's mission ended in 1993, and the craft was superceded by another, more powerful probe, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), launched in 2001, with the goal of setting out the geometry and evolution of the Universe. The European Space Agency is to launch Planck, a lab to measure specific variations in the CMB, in 2007. (iAfrica.com)
Berkeley physicist jolted awake by news of Nobel Oct 4, 2006
And there it was: Smoot and Mather were being honored ``for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation. . (San Jose Mercury News)
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2006 also goes to America Oct 4, 2006
He said the two American scientists are awarded for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation. "This year the physics prize is awarded for work that looks back into the infancy of the Universe and attempts to gain some understanding of the origin of galaxies and stars. It is based on measurements made with the help of the COBE satellite launched by NASA in 1989." Said Professor Oquist. (People's Daily Online, China)
Astrophysicist George Smoot wins Nobel Prize UCB, Oct. 03 Oct 4, 2006
These COBE results have been confirmed by subsequent balloon experiments, including the UC Berkeley-led Millimeter Anisotropy eXperiment IMaging Array (MAXIMA) experiment (http://www ... html) and its southern complement, Balloon Observations Of Millimetric Extragalactic Radiation and Geophysics (BOOMERANG), and more recently by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). (University of California Newswire, CA)
Big Bang 'sounded like jumbo jet' Oct 4, 2006
Professor Cramer bases his model on temperature data sent by a NASA satellite, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). His calculation is based on the frequencies that rampaged through the universe during its first 760,000 years, when it was a cosmic stripling measuring just 18 million light years across. (ABC News Online, Australia)
'Ancient light' takes Nobel Prize Oct 4, 2006
They have been honoured "for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB)" ... Theory holds that 380,000 years after Big Bang, matter and radiation "decoupled" Matter went on to form stars and galaxies; the radiation spread out and cooled The radiation - the CMB - now shines at weak radio (microwave) wavelengths Cobe showed the CMB's profile to follow a predicted distribution - a so-called blackbody curve Cobe mapped tiny temperature... (BBC News -- Science)
Pair Win Physics Nobel Prize For Understanding Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation Oct 4, 2006
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2006 jointly to John C. Mather of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and George F. Smoot of the University of California, Berkeley "for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation.". A sky-map of the temperature variations measured by COBE. Red corresponds to higher temperature and blue to lower. (Science Daily)
Nobel prizes go stateside Oct 4, 2006
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm said on Tuesday that Smoot and Mather had been rewarded "for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB).". Scientists say CMB is the "oldest light" in the universe and tells us about the evolution of the cosmos. (Aljazeera.Net)
Cosmic ripples net physics prize Oct 4, 2006
Detecting this anisotropy was a feat that some thought beyond the sensitivity of COBE. " 00000564 A lot of people thought they weren't going to find anything," says Tegmark ... "Anisotropy is like looking at the fossil record and having that exposed for the first time," says Anthony Lasenby of the University of Cambridge, UK. ... After COBE came WMAP (the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe), named after David Wilkinson, who was instrumental in setting up the COBE mission and who died in 2002. (Nature News Service)
THE NOBEL PRIZES Cal professor, graduate win for Big Bang ... Oct 4, 2006
THE NOBEL PRIZES / Cal professor, graduate win for Big Bang discovery. " said Per Carlson, chairman of the Nobel Physics Committee, as the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award to the two Americans on Tuesday. Smoot and Mather will share the $1.4 million Nobel award. COBE carried a key detection instrument designed by Smoot that detected the faint ripples of the background radiation with extraordinary sensitivity. He had been at the Lawrence lab since 1974, the same year Mather... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Big-Bang Detective Work Wins Physics Nobel Oct 4, 2006
These variations -- called "anisotropy" -- are believed to be responsible for the "clumpy" distribution of galaxies and galaxy clusters ... In 2001, NASA launched a probe -- the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy satellite (WMAP) -- that created an even more detailed map of cosmic microwave background. (NPR)
Two Americans win physics Nobel Prize Oct 3, 2006
The scientists were awarded the prize "for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm said. Their work was based on measurements that were done with the help of the NASA-launched COBE satellite in 1989. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
October GEOLOGY and GSA TODAY media highlights Sep 28, 2006
Mapping stress and structurally controlled crustal shear velocity anisotropy in California Naomi L. Boness (corresponding author), Chevron, ETC, San Ramon, California 94583, USA; and Mark D. Zoback, Stanford University, Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2215, USA. Pages 825-828 ... In this paper, Boness and Zoback describe a method for determining the direction of maximum stress in Earth's crust using shear velocity anisotropy from earthquakes beneath a single... (EurekAlert!)
Astronomers Trace The Evolution Of The First Galaxies In The Universe Sep 14, 2006
But the seeds of those first galaxies can be seen in the the cosmic microwave background radiation, measured most recently and accurately by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), which shows slight fluctuations of density in a remarkably homogeneous universe about 400,000 years after the Big Bang. "Very early in the evolution of the universe, everything was very smooth. But over time the universe became more and more clumpy as gravity pulled more matter into the denser areas," Bouwens... (Science Daily)
Big Bang's Afterglow Fails Intergalactic 'Shadow' Test Sep 6, 2006
A team of UAH scientists led by Dr. Richard Lieu, a professor of physics, used data from NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) to scan the cosmic microwave background for shadows caused by 31 clusters of galaxies ... (June 13, 2001) -- The Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP), scheduled for launch June 30, will journey into deep space on a voyage to explore some of the deepest mysteries of the cosmos. (Science Daily)
What are dark matter and dark energy, and how are they affecting the universe? Aug 28, 2006
Recently, NASAs Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite made precision measurements of the imprint of sound waves on the cosmic microwave background, produced some 400,000 years after the big bang. Because sound propagation depends on the properties of the medium--as anyone who has played with a helium balloon knows--the pattern of the sound waves viewed by WMAP is an indicator of the abundance of hydrogen and helium in the universe. (Scientific American)
A bigger, older universe? Aug 8, 2006
A sky map based on readingsfrom theWilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe shows the "afterglow" of the Big Bang. . (MSNBC -- Technology)
Two University researchers elected to NAS Apr 28, 2006
Lyman, along with his late mentor David Wilkinson, were also the leading proponents of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), a satellite orbiting the sun that could measure variations in microwave intensity with even greater precision than before. Physics department chair Daniel Marlow regards Page's selection as an honor well-deserved. (The Daily Princetonian, NJ)
