The Big Bang! ESCI 518 Fall 2004

Origins How and when did the: How and when did the: universe form? universe form? solar system / Earth form? solar system / Earth form? Moon form? Moon form? What were early Earth conditions? What were early Earth conditions? How Do We Know?

Origin of the Universe Big Bang Big Bang occurred 15 billion years ago occurred 15 billion years ago model for the beginning of the universe model for the beginning of the universe

- infinitely dense point not governed by our physical laws or time - all matter and energy contained in one point Building a Universe

- instantaneous filling of space with all matter Building a Universe

Edwin Hubble Universe is continuously expanding Universe is continuously expanding Galaxy’s velocity is proportional to its distance (galaxies that are twice as far from us move twice as fast) Galaxy’s velocity is proportional to its distance (galaxies that are twice as far from us move twice as fast) taken every galaxy the same amount of time to move from a common starting position to its current position

Hubble’s Evidence Doppler shifting - wavelength emitted by something moving away from us is shifted to a lower frequency Sound of a fire truck siren - pitch of the siren is higher as the fire truck moves towards you, and lower as it moves away from you Visible wavelengths emitted by objects moving away from us are shifted towards the red part of the visible spectrum The faster they move away from us, the more they are redshifted. Thus, redshift is a reasonable way to measure the speed of an object (this, by the way, is the principal by which radar guns measure the speed of a car or baseball) When we observe the redshift of galaxies outside our local group, every galaxy appears to be moving away from us - universe is expanding.

Evidence for Big Bang Red shift - as light from distant galaxies approach earth there is an increase of space between earth and the galaxy, which leads to wavelengths being stretched In 1964, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, discovered a noise of extraterrestrial origin that came from all directions at once - radiation left over from the Big Bang In June 1995, scientists detected primordial helium in the far reaches of the universe - consistent with an important aspect of the Big Bang theory that a mixture of hydrogen and helium was created at the beginning of the universe

Building a Universe s - gravity separates from other forces centimeters to s - fundamental particles - quarks and electrons - softball s - quarks combine into protons and neutrons - solar system 1 s - electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces separate 3 minutes - protons and neutrons combine into atomic nuclei 10 5 years - electrons join nuclei to make atoms; light is emitted years - matter collapses into clouds, making galaxies and stars Orion Nebula -

When Did the Universe Form? 10 to 20 billion years ago (15) 10 to 20 billion years ago (15) How do we know? How do we know? spreading (Red Shift) spreading (Red Shift) know distances, rates of retreat, relative positions know distances, rates of retreat, relative positions pervasive background radiation of 2.7°C above absolute zero pervasive background radiation of 2.7°C above absolute zero afterglow of the Big Bang afterglow of the Big Bang Orion Nebula -

How old is the universe? Speed x time = distance (distance of a particular galaxy) / (that galaxy’s velocity) = (time) or 4.6 x 10^26 cm / 1 x 10^9 cm/sec = 4.6 x 10^17 sec ~ 15 billion years

Features of Our Solar System in a spiral arm of the Milky Way Galaxy Sun 9 planets 101 known moons (satellites) a tremendous number of asteroids most orbit the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter millions of comets and meteorites interplanetary dust and gases

Relative Sizes of the Sun and Planets

Solar System Configuration

Origin of Our Solar System Solar nebula theory formed a rotating disk formed a rotating disk condensed and collapsed due to gravity condensed and collapsed due to gravity forming solar nebula forming solar nebula with an embryonic Sun with an embryonic Sun surrounded by a rotating cloud surrounded by a rotating cloud cloud of gases and dust cloud of gases and dust

planetesimals have formed in the inner solar system planetesimals have formed in the inner solar system large eddies of gas and dust remain far from the protosun large eddies of gas and dust remain far from the protosun Embryonic Sun and Rotating Cloud

The Planets Terrestrial Planets Terrestrial Planets Mercury Mercury Venus Venus Earth Earth Mars Mars small, composed of rock, with metal cores small, composed of rock, with metal cores Jovian Planets Jovian Planets Jupiter Jupiter Saturn Saturn Uranus Uranus Neptune Neptune large, composed of hydrogen, helium, ammonia, methane, relatively small rocky cores large, composed of hydrogen, helium, ammonia, methane, relatively small rocky cores – Pluto?