High-energy & quantum cosmology
Quantum Fluctuations
Fleeting, unavoidable variations in the energy of a field, permitted by the uncertainty principle. Stretched to astronomical size during cosmic inflation, tiny quantum fluctuations are believed to have seeded the density variations we now see imprinted on the cosmic microwave background and grown into galaxies and clusters.
Highlights
- ›The quantum seeds of galaxies, imprinted on the CMB
Related physics & astronomy
Knowledge connections
- Associated withThe Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
- Associated withCosmic Inflation
- Associated withThe Cosmic Microwave Background
- Associated withVacuum Energy
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.