They reflect the structure of the magnetic field of the Milky Way.

Researchers from the Quijote experiment presented six scientific articles that provide information about a magnetic field from Milky Way and will help to understand the energy processes that took place at the birth of the Universe.

The Spanish Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) is one of the participants, along with the Department of Engineering Communications of Santander and the Institute of Physics of Cantabria (IFCA), both in Spain, as well as the Jodrell Bank Observatory at the University of Manchester, the Cavendish Laboratory (Cambridge) and IDOM.

The most accurate map

As explained in the IAC statement, in these papers, the polarization of microwave radiation Milky Waysomething that provides additional information to the information obtained by some space missions (Planck and WMAP) dedicated to the study of the cosmic microwave background (FCM), fossil radiation from the Big Bang.

The maps provide a detailed description of the sky in a new frequency range from 10 to 20 GHz, complementing space missions that have previously observed the sky in microwaves, such as Planck (ESA) and WMAP (NASA), comments José Alberto Rubino. , Scientific Director of Quijote and Principal Investigator of the European Radioforegrounds Project.

He adds that the polarization of the synchrotron radiation Milky Wayand notes that this is the result of the emission of charged particles that move at close to the speed of light in the galactic magnetic field.

These maps, the result of nearly 9,000 hours of observation, are a unique tool for studying magnetism in the universe, adds Rubinho.

The cosmic microwave background is fossil radiation that comes from the first moments of the universe and is observed in the region of radio waves.

Ricardo Genova-Santos, a researcher at the IAC, elaborates that this type of radiation is being studied by scientists because, by examining its polarization properties, they intend to find an indirect trace of the existence of gravitational waves that arose after the Big Bang.

To access this signal of the origin of the universe, scientists must remove the veil of radiation associated with our galaxy, and Quixote maps provide a tool for this task.

“One of the most interesting results we have found is that our galaxy’s polarized synchrotron radiation is much more spatially variable than previously thought,” comments Elena de la Hoz, a researcher at the Cantabrian Institute of Physics, adding that the results represent a link that will help future experiments detect the cosmological signal.

Rubinho emphasizes that the detection of this cosmological signal, a very specific microwave background polarization pattern associated with the presence of gravitational waves generated in the so-called inflationary era, will open a new window into fundamental physics.

He goes on to say that in this way it allows us to explore energy scales billions of times larger than currently possible from Earth with particle accelerators, and adds: “Studying them will allow us to understand the energy processes that have taken place. at the birth of the universe.

new field

The new Quijote data is also a “unique” tool to study anomalous microwave radiation (EAM), a type of radiation first detected about 25 years ago and thought to be caused by rotating very small dust particles from the interstellar medium that tend to orientate themselves. itself due to the presence of the galactic magnetic field.

The polarization properties of these emissions “need to be characterized and understood in detail in order to sanitize FCM polarization maps for cosmology,” comments Frederic Poidevin, a researcher at the IAC.

“Thanks to the new Quixote data, we have improved our understanding of EAM in many regions of our galaxy,” says Denis Tramonte, a researcher at the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO-CAS, China).

Quixote’s maps also made it possible to study microwave radiation emanating from the galactic center.

The IAC points out that an excess of microwave radiation of as yet unknown origin was detected in this region, but that it may be associated with the processes of decay of dark matter particles.

“With the help of Quijote, we confirmed the existence of this excess radiation and found evidence that this signal can be polarized. This information is necessary to understand the nature of this radiation,” comments Federica Guidi, a researcher at the Paris Astrophysical Institute (Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris). IAP, France).

In addition, the new Quijote maps have made it possible to systematically study more than 700 sources of radio and microwave radiation, both galactic and extragalactic in origin. EFE

We recommend you METADATA, an RPP technology podcast. News, analytics, reviews, recommendations and everything you need to know about the tech world.