PIPER Infographic
The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) is a NASA scientific balloon mission that will fly to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere to study twisty patterns of light in the universe’s “baby picture.” This infographic highlights some facts about PIPER’s instruments, capabilities and goals.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) is a NASA scientific balloon mission that will fly to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere to study the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The CMB is a faint glow permeating the universe in all directions with an average temperature of 455 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 270 degrees Celsius). It formed 380,000 years after the big bang, so scientists sometimes refer to it as the universe’s “baby picture.” PIPER will search for patterns in the light of the CMB called E-mode and B-mode polarization. E-mode patterns show exactly the same properties if reflected in a mirror, but B-mode patterns don’t. Scientists say they have “handedness,” which means B-modes twist either right or left and a mirror reflection changes one to the other.
B-mode patterns result from gravitational waves in the universe’s first moments, when it expanded a trillion trillion times after the big bang. PIPER will look for B-mode patterns in order to find these space-time ripples and will help scientists learn about the early days of the universe.
The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is a faint glow that permeates the universe in all directions. When scientists look closely, they can see distinct patterns in the light of the CMB called E-mode and B-mode. B-mode patterns change value when reflected in a mirror, while E-mode patterns do not.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) is a NASA scientific balloon mission that will study twisty patterns of light in the cosmic microwave background — a faint glow permeating the universe in all directions and leftover from the period following the big bang.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. However, individual items should be credited as indicated above.
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Producer
- Scott Wiessinger (USRA)
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Science writers
- Jeanette Kazmierczak (University of Maryland College Park)
- Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park)
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Illustrator
- Scott Wiessinger (USRA)
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Design
- Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park)
Release date
This page was originally published on Tuesday, September 11, 2018.
This page was last updated on Thursday, August 3, 2023 at 12:58 PM EDT.