Dr Gary A Stilwell

Cosmic Evolution

A Six Week Course

My Cosmology course originally consisted of

two parts:

Mythological cosmology

Scientific cosmology

The outline (timeline) of only the scientific part

is shown on the next few pages

We will cover a small portion of that outline tonight,

as far as we get

Outline

Reality vs. Models

How we got the Big Bang Theory

Timelines

Big Bang Overview

Quantum Flux/Vacuum

Structure of Matter and Force

Planck Time

Matter Evolution

Inflation

Matter Creation (Atoms)

Cosmic Background Radiation

A View from the Center

Ultimate Reality

Science theory/models and religious mythology both seek to understand reality

Of which science models and religious myths may both be Platonic cave shadows

They both use models to describe this reality

Disaster occurs when our models of reality are mistaken for reality itself

How We Got the Big Bang Theory

1920s discovered our galaxy not alone

1929 discovered other galaxies all moving away

making theories to explain expansion

1960s discovered microwave background,

proving the BB

1980s fixed problems with BB by Inflation

On-going proof

Time from Beginning

Quantum fluctuation 0 sec ?

Planck time 10-43 sec

Gravity force splits 10-43

Strong force splits (GUT) 10-36

Inflation starts 10-36

Sea of quarks 10-34

Weak force splits 10-10

Quarks combine to Hadrons 10-5

Leptons dominate energy dens. 10-4

Both annihilate immediately

Nucleosynthesis 1 min

H and He formed by ~3 min

Timeline of the Big Bang

Matter Era After Big Bang

Matter Radiation equality 60K years

Atoms form 400K years

Radiation and matter decouple 400K years

(universe becomes transparent)

Dark Ages begin 5 M years

First Stars 1 B years

Galaxies

Stars and chemistry

Planets 10 B years

Timeline cont.

Timeline cont.

Our Era

Milky Way 10 B years before present

Solar system

Sun 5 B year BP

Earth 4.6 B year BP

Life 4.2 B years BP

Biological evolution

Hominids 7 M years BP

Culture 12K years BP

The Future Eras

Death of solar system 5 B years from now

Degenerate era 1014 years

Black hole era 1046 years

Dark era 10100 years

Timelines - The Really Big Picture

The following graphics will be used to illustrate the various time periods under discussion

Time Frame - Age of Cosmos

Galaxies Formed

15 B* 10B 5B Now

* actually 13.7 B

4.6 Billion YearsEarth Formed

The ~15 Billion Year History of the Universe:

The 1st Billion years The last 5 billion years

Earth Formed Life Vertebrates

Plants Land Animals Dinosaurs Mammals Primates

5B 4B 3B 2B 1B Now

Hominids Homo Sapiens

500M 400M 300M 200M 100M Now

1M 0.8M 0.6M 0.4M 0.2M Now

500Million

Time Frame - Age of Cosmos - cont.

Human Civilization12,000 Years

Galaxies Formed

15 B 10B 5B Now

4.6 Billion YearsEarth Formed

Galaxies Form Earth Forms

15 B 10B 5B Now

Electron Capture

0 400 K 1 M

Forces separate, inflation occurs, and matter is created

0 3 minutes

Time Frame - Age of Cosmos The 1st Few Seconds

A 2-D Look at Cosmic Evolution

Here beDragons

The Birth of the Universe -Limits of Our Knowledge

time=0Temperature =infinite

increasing timeincr. expansion

Particle theories uncertain

Quantum gravity needed

Singularity!?

We can have knowledge ofthe universe's origin only after the Planck time of 10-43 sec

time = ~14 B yearsTemp = ~ 3K

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The Progress of the New Physics

This is why weare limited toAFTER thePlanck time.

Big Bang is Not an Explosion

Big Bang - a more correct view

A More Correct View of the Big Bang Theory

Quantum Fluctuations and Particle Physics

A Review of Particle Physics is Necessary toUnderstand Early Cosmology

Quantum fluctuations are allowed by the HeisenbergUncertainty Principle

Quantum Vacuum Energy

The Standard Model of the Structure of Matter

Macroscopic object

Molecule

Atom

Nucleus

Proton and Neutron

Quarks

(Strings??)

Structure of Ordinary Matter

Standard Model of Sub-Atomic Particles all known matter and force

Ordinary matter

Forces

Exotic matter

Fermions

Planck Time, Forces Split

10-43 sec

is the smallest time that our physics works

NEED: quantum gravity theory

Planck Era

At time = 10- 43 sec

1021 times smaller

10-12 cm

Gravity

Electromagnetic

Strong

Weak

The Four Forces - Unification

Forces - breaking symmetry at cosmic origin - temperature and time

10-43 10-36 10-11

CosmicTime(sec)

Inflation

Starts ~10-36 sec.

Horizon Problem

Normal Expansion versus Inflation

Inflation

Our Observable Universe

Matter

Matter created in steps starting afterthe Planck time 10-43 sec

At ~ 60K years:

Radiation (photons, neutrinos) Energy Density becomes equal to Dark and Atomic Matter Density.

Space-time Foam

Matter Creation and Destruction

Particles Created and Annihilated

Making Quarks 10-34 sec.

Quarks toNucleiat 3 min

Making Elements at Universe = 1 Minute Old

Cosmic Background Radiation

Free Electrons and Nuclei pair up to form Atoms at~400 K years

Called Recombination

Makes Universe Transparent

Matter Evolution

The Helium Atom Model~ 400K years after Big Bang

42He

The Atomic Nucleus

The Structure of the Atom

Atom = 100,000 times Nucleus10-10 / 10-15 = 105The atom is almost EMPTY void!!

Click here to type page title

ENDA few discussion slides follow

The Milky Way Galaxy

Universe Magnitudes

Life Cycle of Stars

Anthropic

Expanding Universe - Red Shift

ComponentApprox. SizeRelativeSize

Atom10 - 10m1,000,000,000

Nucleus10 -15 m 10,000

Neutron10 -16 m1,000

Proton10 -16 m

1,000

Electron10 -18 m10

Quark10 -19 m1