Astrophysicists have predicted that this B -
mode polarization pattern is recorded ever so faintly in the cosmic microwave background.
Not exact matches
The gravitational waves produced a characteristic swirly
pattern in polarized light, called «B -
mode»
polarization.
Gravitational waves from inflation generate a faint but distinctive twisting
pattern in the
polarization of the cosmic microwave background, known as a «curl» or B -
mode pattern.
«Our team hunted for a special type of
polarization called «B -
modes,» which represents a twisting or «curl»
pattern in the polarized orientations of the ancient light,» said co-leader Jamie Bock (Caltech / JPL).
The
patterns, so - called «B -
mode polarization,» are the signature of gravitational waves, or ripples in space - time.
The theory is that these photons produced a curling
pattern of
polarization, called a B -
mode, that is causally connected to what happens when an electron interacts with a gravitational wave.
That could be detected by looking for a particular
pattern of polarized light in the cosmic microwave background, known as B -
mode polarization.
PRYKE: About a year ago, we announced that we had detected this so called swirliness, this B -
mode in the microwave background
polarization pattern.
These gravitational waves would have stamped a swirl
pattern, called «B -
mode»
polarization, in the cosmic microwave background, the oldest light now detectable in the sky.