Why astronomers want to search for evidence of the big bang on the moon

Dutch astronomers have come up with an ingenious idea to get a better understanding of one of the universe's greatest mysteries: how did the first stars form after the Big Bang? By developing a revolutionary antenna mattress and placing it in a crater on the far side of the moon, they hope to pick up signals from the universe's "Dark Ages."

The Big Bang remains a mysterious occurrence…

(Image Credit: IkaPhoto via Shutterstock / HDR tune by Universal-Sci)

The Big Bang and the "Dark Ages"

Many aspects of the Big Bang, the event that marked the birth of our universe, are still a mystery. Most of our current understanding is based on calculations made half a century ago. These calculations have been converted into images that represent the early universe (see below). There is also a lot to learn about the period of time between the Big Bang and before the formation of the very first stars.

This period, known as the cosmological "Dark Ages," lasted approximately one billion years and derives its name from the absence of stars. The only way to study this era is through radio emissions, which can provide crucial information about the universe's infancy.

The Cosmic microwave background as observed by Planck. It gives us a peek of the universe in its infancy (about 380.000 years old)

(Credit: ESA and the Planck Collaboration)

An Antenna Mattress on the far side of the moon: A New Approach

In an interview with UvN, astronomer Dr. Marc Klein Wolt from the Radboud University explains that we are missing a period in the ‘life’ of our universe. He likens it to the life of a human being. We currently have the baby pictures (Cosmic microwave background) as well as a lot of information on what the universe looks like right now. We are missing the in-between era, the dark ages. Ore the ‘adolescent’ period, as Wolt calls it.

But how can we study the cosmological dark ages if there is no starlight to observe? Wolt explains that astronomers study starlight, which allows them to look back in time due to the time it takes for light to travel from distant stars. In the 'Dark Ages' before stars existed, there was no light, but there might be radio radiation from that time.

Why on the moon?

Radio telescopes can detect radio waves, which are billions of years old and contain information. By adjusting a radio telescope's sensitivity to different wavelengths, scientists can look further back in time. The longer the wavelength, the older the signal. To study the 'Dark Ages,' a special radio telescope sensitive to long wavelengths is needed, ideally placed on the moon due to the weak signals from that time period of the Universe’s life.

But why should these antennas be placed on the far side of the moon? To capture the weak signals from the 'Dark Ages,' a radio telescope should be placed on the far side of the moon. Since the moon's rotation matches its revolution around Earth, the far side always faces away from us. Positioning the telescope in a crater would provide an even quieter location for better signal detection.

Why a mattress?

Sending stuff into space is extremely expensive. Wolt’s idea of sending a thousand antennas to the far side of the moon therefore involves folding them for efficient transportation.

Drawing inspiration from a self-inflating camping mat, the concept involves printing antennas on kapton, a gold-colored material similar to aluminum foil. The antennas, made of conductive material, are printed on the kapton, which is then attached to an air mattress-like structure. The first prototypes are being developed in Marc's lab.

By adjusting the antennas' sensitivity, the researchers can tune into different wavelengths, effectively "listening" to the universe as it was in different periods of time (looking back in time).

Longer wavelengths correspond to earlier periods in the universe's history. In order to detect the faint signals from the Dark Ages, Wolt's team needs at least a thousand antennas.

Wolt showing off a printed Kapton sheet with printed antennas that are supposed to go on top of a matt

(Image Credit: Universiteit van Nederland)

With international cooperation, the team aims to have antenna mattresses on the moon within the next ten yearss. The project may prove to be an exciting leap forward in our quest to understand the universe's beginnings.

As we continue to explore the cosmos, innovative ideas like this bring us closer to unraveling the mysteries of the universe. As always, Universal-Sci will keep you posted! If you would like to check out some more articles on the fascinating topic of space and exploration, be sure to check some of the selected articles listed below.

Sources and further reading:

• Putting unfathomable astronomical distances into human perspective (Universal-Sci)

• How could the Big Bang arise from nothing? (Universal-Sci)

• Is dark matter older than the big bang? (Universal-Sci)

• Is space infinite? We asked 5 experts (Universal-Sci)

• Universiteit van Nederland (UvN)

• Radboud University

• Chronology of the universe

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