From the Big Bang to the Nobel Prize: Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) and Beyond Astronomical Search For OriginsNobel Prize Press ReleaseThe Power of ThoughtPower of Hardware - CMB SpectrumBrief COBE HistoryCOBE History (2)Starting COBECOBE Science TeamCOBE Science TeamCOBE Engineering LeadershipCOBE Engineering LeadershipCOBE Satellite, 1989-1994Current estimate: T = 2.725 +/- 0.001 K New technology could reduce residuals 2 orders of magnitude?COBE Map of CMB Fluctuations 2.725 K +/- ~ 30 µK rms, 7o beamDIRBE (Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment)DIRBE far IR (100, 140, 240 µm) Sky ModelingCOBE CosmologyWMAPCMB Angular Power SpectrumPlanck Mission - ESA-led with NASA contributions, for 2008 launchSummary of JWSTJames Webb Space TelescopeFour Scientific ThemesJWST Science Objectives versus Cosmic HistoryEnd of the dark ages: first light?Birth of stars and protoplanetary systemsPlanetary systems and the origins of lifeHST characterizes transiting planets; so will JWSTChemistry of Transiting PlanetsFrom the Big Bang to the Nobel Prize: Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) and Beyond Goddard Space Flight Center LectureJohn MatherNov. 21, 2006Astronomical Search For OriginsBig BangFirst GalaxiesGalaxies EvolveStarsPlanetsLifeLooking Back in TimeMeasuring DistanceThis technique enables measurement of enormous distancesAstronomer's Toolbox #2:Doppler Shift - LightAtoms emit light at discrete wavelengths that can be seen with a spectroscopeThis “line spectrum” identifies the atom and its velocityGalaxies attract each other, so the expansion should be slowing down -- Right??To tell, we need to compare the velocity we measure on nearby galaxies to ones at very high redshift.In other words, we need to extend Hubble’s velocity vs distance plot to much greater distances.Nobel Prize Press ReleaseThe Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2006 jointly to John C. Mather, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA, and George F. Smoot, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA "for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation".The Power of ThoughtRobert Herman & Ralph AlpherGeorges Lemaitre & Albert EinsteinGeorge GamowRashid Sunyaev Jim PeeblesPower of Hardware - CMB SpectrumPaul Richards Mike WernerFrank LowDavid WoodyHerb Gush Rai WeissBrief COBE History• 1965, CMB announced - Penzias & Wilson; Dicke, Peebles, Roll, & Wilkinson• 1974, NASA AO for Explorers: ~ 150 proposals, including:– JPL anisotropy proposal (Gulkis, Janssen…)– Berkeley anisotropy proposal (Alvarez, Smoot…)– Goddard/MIT/Princeton COBE proposal (Hauser, Mather, Muehlner, Silverberg, Thaddeus, Weiss, Wilkinson)COBE History (2)• 1976, Mission Definition Science Team selected by HQ (Nancy Boggess, Program Scientist); PI’s chosen• ~ 1979, decision to build COBE in-house at GSFC• 1982, approval to construct for flight• 1986, Challenger explosion, start COBE redesign for Delta launch• 1989, Nov. 18, launch• 1990, first spectrum results; helium ends in 10 mo• 1992, first anisotropy results• 1994, end operations• 1998, major cosmic IR background resultsStarting COBEPat ThaddeusJohn & Jane Mather Dave & Eunice WilkinsonMike & Deanna HauserRai & Becky WeissGeorgeSmootSam& Margie Gulkis, Mike& Sandie JanssenCOBE Science TeamChuck & Renee BennettTom& Ann KelsallNancy& Al BoggessEli & Florence DwekEd& Tammy ChengPhilip & Georganne LubinCOBE Science TeamTom & Jeanne MurdockNed& Pat WrightSteve& Sharon MeyerBob & Beverly SilverbergRick & Gwen ShaferHarvey & Sarah MoseleyCOBE Engineering LeadershipBack row: Bill Hoggard, Herb Mittelman, Joe Turtil, Bob SanfordMiddle row: Don Crosby, Roger Mattson, Irene Ferber, Maureen MentonFront row: Jeff Greenwell, Ernie Doutrich, Bob Schools, Mike RobertoCOBE Engineering LeadershipBack row: Dennis McCarthy, Bob Maichle, Loren Linstrom, Jack PeddicordMiddle row: Lee Smith, Dave Gilman, Steve Leete, Tony FragomeniFront row: Earle Young, Chuck Katz, Bernie Klein, John WolfgangCOBE Satellite, 1989-1994COBE in orbit, 1989-1994Far Infrared Absolute SpectrophotometerJohn MatherRick ShaferBob MaichleMike RobertoCalibrator (Eccosorb) on arm, before insulation, attached to parabolic concentratorBased on 9 minutes of dataPresented at AAS, January 1990Current estimate: T = 2.725 +/- 0.001 KNew technology could reduce residuals 2 orders of magnitude?Confirming the Big Bang Theory• Hot Big Bang theory is right• No extra energy released after the first year• No exotic events like turbulent motionDifferential Microwave RadiometersGeorge SmootChuck BennettBernie KleinSteve Leete31.4 GHzSky map from DMR, 2.7 K +/- 0.003 KDoppler Effect of Earth’s motion removed (v/c = 0.001)Cosmic temperature/density variations at 389,000 years, +/- 0.00003 KCOBE Map of CMB Fluctuations2.725 K +/- ~ 30 µK rms, 7obeamDIRBE (Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment)• Map entire sky in 10 bands from 1.2 to 240 µm• Measure, understand, and subtract for zodiacal and galactic foregrounds• Determine small residual from early universe, primeval galaxies, etc.• Requires absolute calibrationMike HauserTom KelsallDon CrosbyLoren LinstromDIRBE Test Unit HardwareDIRBE far IR (100, 140, 240 µm) Sky ModelingCOBE Cosmology• CMB has blackbody spectrum, δF/Fmax<50 ppm. Strong limits, about 0.01%, on energy conversion (from turbulence, unstable particles, etc.) after t = 1 year. No good explanation besides Hot Big Bang.• CMB has spatial structure, 0.001% on scales > 7o, consistent with scale-invariant predictions and inflation, dark matter and dark energy or Λ constant, and formation of galaxies and clusters by gravity.• CIBR has 2 parts, near (few microns) and far (few hundred microns), each with brightness comparable to the known luminosity of visible & near IR galaxies: L of universe is ~ double expected value.WMAPWilkinson Microwave Anisotropy ProbeChuck Bennett, PIGoddard & Princeton teamLaunched in 2001The Universe at age 389,000 yearsTemperature (µK) relative to average of 2.725 K+200-200Galactic PlaneΩΛΩcΩbΩm=Ωb+Ωc=27± 4%Ωtot=Ωb+Ωc+ΩΛ=100%Cosmic Parameters to ~ percent accuracyCMB Angular Power SpectrumPlanck Mission - ESA-led with NASA contributions, for 2008 launchHigher spatial resolution and sensitivity than WMAP, with shorter wavelengths39James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)Summary of JWST Deployable infrared telescope with 6.5 meter diameter