One of the great mysteries of physics is what exactly happened when the universe began. At the time, the universe was filled with a dense plasma that photons (particles of light) couldn’t escape. Now several projects are trying to listen to the big bang using gravitational waves – ripples in the very fabric of spacetime. This new project will aim to detect such waves at ultra-high frequencies and could lead to the discovery of brand-new physics.
Key Takeaways:
- When the universe was formed, it was filled with a concentrated gas, which was made out of electrons and protons.
- As the universe got larger, photons escaped, causing light to travel freely.
- The gravitational waves that scientists are able to detect are known as astrophysical gravitational waves.
“Now several projects are trying to listen to the big bang using gravitational waves – ripples in the very fabric of spacetime.”
