2006年VOA标准英语-Scientists Find Evidence Universe Inflated

By David McAlary
Washington
17 March 2006
 
Scientists report evidence that the universe was born in less than the blink of an eye, expanding instantly from sub-microscopic¹ size to astronomical² proportions. The conclusion comes from data gathered by a U.S. satellite that has been peering for clues to the origin of the cosmos³ in a faint glow of background radiation that is almost as old as the universe.

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Inflation means one thing to economists⁴ and another to cosmologists. When applied⁵ to the universe, it means the expansion from its tiny origins nearly 14 billion years ago.

Time line of the Universe   
  

Now, scientists have a better idea of how fast this happened, thanks to a U.S. satellite orbiting four times farther than the moon. It is called the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, or WMAP for short, launched in 2001.

The probe's chief investigator⁶, astrophysicist Charles Bennett of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, says the data reveal that the infant universe just popped out suddenly from almost nothing. It inflated⁷ from the size of a pea to a volume larger than all current observable space in less than one-trillionth of a second.

"It amazes me that we can say anything at all about what transpired⁸ in the first trillionth of a second, but we can," he said. "It appears that the universe had a growth spurt⁹ that would alarm any mom or dad."

This conclusion comes after three years of continuous observations of the oldest light in the universe. Bennett says it is the remnant afterglow of light that first appeared when the universe was just 300,000-years-old, a faint microscopic radiation that lingers at temperatures close to absolute zero, the temperature at which all atomic motion stops.

"WMAP measures the patterns of the light as a geologist¹⁰ might examine a fossil for clues of the past," he explained.

WMAP has produced a new, more detailed¹¹ picture of the infant universe. Colors indicate "warmer" (red) and "cooler" (blue) spots   
  
The WMAP results give the most detailed picture yet of the minute brightness and temperature variations in this light, heat differences of less than one-millionth of a degree. Those variations, first measured in the 1990s by a previous U.S. satellite, are microwave fossils revealing the emerging structure of the infant universe.

The slightly warmer, brighter regions represent areas where matter began clumping¹² together, eventually growing into galaxies¹³, stars and planets. The cooler, darker areas were less dense¹⁴, becoming the space between these structures.

It is in these patterns that the researchers discerned the details of the universe's beginning, aided by a new map of the polarization, or direction, of the faint microwave radiation.

The WMAP researchers say their findings, combined with other cosmology information, support established theories on the universe's expansion. These theories hold that at the outset, short-lived bursts of energy at the atomic level were converted during the rapid inflation into the fluctuations¹⁵ of matter WMAP has measured more precisely¹⁶ than ever.

"WMAP has subjected our basic cosmological model to its most rigorous test and passed with flying colors," said Princeton University team member David Spergel.

Content of the Universe
  
  
The new data also inform scientists that only four-percent of the universe is ordinary matter that we can see. Twenty-two percent is unidentified dark matter, and 74 percent is a mysterious dark energy. This is a force scientists believe counters the gravitational pull of matter and is causing another rapid expansion of the universe, although not nearly as forceful as the first one.

"The observations are spectacular and the conclusions are stunning," he said.

This is Columbia University cosmology theorist Peter Greene, who was not part of the WMAP research team.

"Our species is one that seeks its origin, and the deepest of all questions of origin is, how did the universe begin? WMAP has certainly not answered this question, but WMAP's data is taking us one giant step closer to the answer by giving us a precise quantitative¹⁷ look at what happened literally¹⁸ at time zero itself," he said.

The WMAP data are to be published in the Astrophysical Journal. The WMAP satellite will continue to refine its data on a mission expected to last until 2009.

1 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

2 astronomical   

adj.天文学的，（数字）极大的

参考例句：

• He was an expert on ancient Chinese astronomical literature.他是研究中国古代天文学文献的专家。
• Houses in the village are selling for astronomical prices.乡村的房价正在飙升。

3 cosmos   

n.宇宙；秩序，和谐

参考例句：

• Our world is but a small part of the cosmos.我们的世界仅仅是宇宙的一小部分而已。
• Is there any other intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos?在宇宙的其他星球上还存在别的有智慧的生物吗？

4 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

6 investigator   

n.研究者，调查者，审查者

参考例句：

• He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
• The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

7 inflated   

adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• He has an inflated sense of his own importance. 他自视过高。
• They all seem to take an inflated view of their collective identity. 他们对自己的集体身份似乎都持有一种夸大的看法。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 transpired   

（事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生

参考例句：

• It transpired that the gang had had a contact inside the bank. 据报这伙歹徒在银行里有内应。
• It later transpired that he hadn't been telling the truth. 他当时没说真话，这在后来显露出来了。

9 spurt   

v.喷出；突然进发；突然兴隆

参考例句：

• He put in a spurt at the beginning of the eighth lap.他进入第八圈时便开始冲刺。
• After a silence, Molly let her anger spurt out.沉默了一会儿，莫莉的怒气便迸发了出来。

10 geologist   

n.地质学家

参考例句：

• The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley.在那山谷里，地质学家发现了许多裸露的化石。
• He was a geologist,rated by his cronies as the best in the business.他是一位地质学家，被他的老朋友们看做是这门行当中最好的一位。

11 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

12 clumping   

v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的现在分词 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声

参考例句：

• Wipe the wand off before the first coat to prevent clumping. 把睫毛棒刷干净，避免结块。 来自互联网
• Fighting gravitational clumping would take a wavelength of a few dozen light-years. 为了对抗重力造成的聚集，这些粒子的波长可能会长达好几十光年的距离。 来自互联网

13 galaxies   

星系( galaxy的名词复数 )； 银河系； 一群（杰出或著名的人物）

参考例句：

• Quasars are the highly energetic cores of distant galaxies. 类星体是遥远星系的极为活跃的核心体。
• We still don't know how many galaxies there are in the universe. 我们还不知道宇宙中有多少个星系。

14 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

15 fluctuations   

波动，涨落，起伏( fluctuation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table. 他用统计表显示价格的波动。
• There were so many unpredictable fluctuations on the Stock Exchange. 股票市场瞬息万变。

16 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

17 quantitative   

adj.数量的，定量的

参考例句：

• He said it was only a quantitative difference.他说这仅仅是数量上的差别。
• We need to do some quantitative analysis of the drugs.我们对药物要进行定量分析。

18 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。