TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

FOSSIL RADIATION [1 record]

Filter results by subject field Alphabetical list of terms

Filter results by subject field

Alphabetical list of terms

Record 1 2011-12-14

English

Subject field(s)
  • Astrochemistry and Cosmochemistry
  • Electromagnetic Radiation
DEF

A radiation [that] is considered [to be] the remnant of the Big Bang, which cooled down to a temperature of 3 K (-270°C).

CONT

In 1965, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson announced the discovery of microwave radiation which uniformly filled the sky and had a blackbody temperature of about 3.5 K. The pair had been testing a new radio amplifier that was supposed to be exceptionally quiet. ... After many attempts to account for all extraneous sources of radio noise, they came to the conclusion that there was a general background of radiation at the radio frequency they were using. After discussions with a group led by Robert Dicke at nearby Princeton University it became clear that they had in fact detected remnant radiation from the origin of the universe.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Astrochimie et cosmochimie
  • Rayonnements électromagnétiques
CONT

Vieux de douze milliards d'années puisque s'étant propagé pendant ce laps de temps mais aussi étonnamment jeune puisque témoin de phases fort précoces de l'histoire du monde, ce rayonnement fossile diffus constitue l'une des preuves éclatantes de la justesse de l'idée connue sous le nom de «big bang» selon laquelle notre monde est né dans un état de compression extrême pour entamer une prodigieuse expansion. [...] Pour avoir découvert ce rayonnement fossile en 1963, [...] Penzias et Wilson reçurent le prix Nobel.

PHR

Rayonnement cosmique fossile.

Spanish

Save record 1

Copyright notice for the TERMIUM Plus® data bank

© Public Services and Procurement Canada, 2025
TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
A product of the Translation Bureau

Display options

Change the order of display of the official languages of Canada
Option to display the non-official languages (Spanish or Portuguese)
Display definitions, contexts, etc., on records

Features

Language Portal of Canada

Access a collection of Canadian resources on all aspects of English and French, including quizzes.

Writing tools

The Language Portal’s writing tools have a new look! Easy to consult, they give you access to a wealth of information that will help you write better in English and French.

Glossaries and vocabularies

Access Translation Bureau glossaries and vocabularies.

Date Modified: