2006-07-14 09:29:08 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I've heard that if you turn the fade down so that you only see a few flashes of the static, that every 8th one you see (or some number like that) is caused my a quasars. But I don't think that effects the big band theory in any way.
2006-07-14 09:33:19 · answer #1 · answered by lexie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure that this static is due to remnants of the big bang and I highly doubt it. But I get the idea behind your question.
A case similar to "white static" is what lead to the discovery of the Cosmic Microwave Background. I don't recall the exact details of the incident, but here's a rough recounting:
Two (give or take) guys were conducting research for what I think was radio astronomy. When they started analyzing their data, they found that there was a certain amount of noise. So, they went out, checked their receptors, cleaned out some bird droppings, and went back to test their equipment again. Weirdly, the problem persisted. So they tried shifting their antennas to different areas in the sky. Even more weirdly, they got the exact same white noise. This meant that this static came from *outside* Earth. Again, they tried another experiment. They kept taking measurements as the year progressed and the Earth circled the Sun. Still the same damn noise. Apparently, the noise was coming from *beyond* the solar system and was in the exact same amount wherever they pointed their antennas. The team were puzzled and engaged in a long head-scratcher. Eventually, the discovery would be made that this background noise is the CMB, and NASA's WMAP would map the CMB to a high degree of accuracy.
So what does this have to do with the universe and the big bang? A lot.
Here's a little analogy to help you understand. When you burn a coal, it'll first burn with a bright yellow-ornage glow. After a while, as the coal cools, the glow turns to darkening shades of red. Eventually the color dies out een though you can still feel the heat if you place your hand close to the embers. The heat is now radiated in infrared. My point is, the coal's heat is being emitted in constantly changing forms of radiation, following a specific pattern: from yellow to ornage to red to infrared. A quick glance at the electromagnetic sepctrum tells you that these are arranged in decreasing order of frequency. The bottom line: a hot object emits its heat through radiation which changes type in decreasing order of frequency. Here are some forms of EM radiation in decreasing order of frequency:
gamma rays > x-rays > ultraviolet > light(violet through red) > infrared > microwaves > radio waves.
Our universe is just like any other hot object. When it was really young (time of big bang) the universe was supposed to be very hot. And like hot objects it should emit radiation that decreases in frequency over time. What the CMB tells us, when studied accurately and using some formulas, is when the universe was really really hot, i.e. big bang.
I believe the current measurement of CMB places it at around 2-3 K. The age of the universe deduced from this value is 13.7 billion years (give or take 0.2 billion).
Sorry I can't provide references, but I'm kind of busy (my country's at war).
2006-07-14 16:58:07 · answer #2 · answered by Lestat de Lioncourt 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. Your radio and TV sets are not sensitive enough to respond to the residual radiation from the big bang. The white "snow" is the noise created inside the receiving circuits of the TV. The reason you don't hear it when you are tuned to a program, is that automatic circuits inside the receiver reduce the gain when a signal is present, and the result is that the nosie becomes inaudible.
2006-07-14 16:50:39 · answer #3 · answered by Larry S 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some percentage (25%?) of the static is from left over radiation from the Big Bang.
Does it prove the Big Bang theory? No, but it's usually pointed to as evidence in favor of it. I'm not aware of any competing theories for this so-called cosmic backround radiation.
2006-07-14 16:46:08 · answer #4 · answered by DR 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Most of the static is noise from stars - they generate most of the electromagnetic waves you'll get.
The remnants from the big bang is actually a uniform microwave radiation background that permeates the universe, which has indeed been shown to exist.
2006-07-14 16:36:18 · answer #5 · answered by extton 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Now that sounds like something that people who watch too much tv and don't go to school come up with.
2006-07-14 16:51:32 · answer #6 · answered by Yentl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no. the static is the sound of the universe singing praises to God.
2006-07-14 16:32:13 · answer #7 · answered by maryjane1z1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Um.... no. That'd be a bad TV signal from a satellite or from your cable wiring.
Hate to break it to you.
2006-07-14 16:32:48 · answer #8 · answered by xo_pina_colada_ox 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No it isn't.
2006-07-14 16:32:56 · answer #9 · answered by gramcracker541 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋