Expanding Universe

http://www.universeforum.
org/einstein/
Our Expanding Universe
http://www.universeforum.org/einstein/
Cosmology- The Study of the Universe: its structure, origin, evolution, and destiny
Cosmogony- The Study of the our Solar system.
2nd Century: Claudius Ptolemy (Physics of Aristotle)
Model: Earth-centered Cosmology
Big Idea: Different laws for Earth and the cosmos
Astronomy has seen 3 scientific revolutions in cosmology
16th Century: Nicolaus Copernicus (Physics of Newton)
Model: Sun-centered Cosmology
Big Idea: Universal physics; same laws everywhere
20th Century: Edwin Hubble (Physics of Einstein)
Model: Big Bang Cosmology
Big Idea: Universe is changing, evolving
Our View of the Cosmos - the story of scientific models
the natural motion of the Earth .is towards the center of the universe;
that is the reason it is now lying at the center.
Aristotle, On the Heavens
Earth-centered Cosmology: Claudius Ptolemy, 100-170 AD
Prediction: Future planetary positions

Observation: retrograde motion of planets

Refine: epicycles

Success! For 1500 years
Testing the Earth-centered model
Prediction: Phases of Venus
Observation: Full set of phases
Crisis!
Testing the Earth-centered model
Sun-centered Cosmology: Nicolaus Copernicus 1473-1543
At rest, however, in the middle of everything is the Sun.
Nicholaus Copernicus, de Revolutionibus
Prediction: Future planetary positions
Observation: No better than Ptolemy
Refine: elliptical orbits (Johannes Kepler 1571-1630)
Testing the Sun-centered model
Prediction: Observed shift in position of stars (parallax) as the earth
Moves around the Sun.
Observation: No shift.
Crisis? No, but we had to wait until 1838 (Friedrich Bessel)
Prediction: Sun at center of Cosmos

Observation: Sun is not at center of universe (1918)

Crisis!
Observation: The galaxy is not the entire universe (1923)

Big Bang Cosmology: Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
A human being is part of a whole, called by us
universe, a part limited in time and space.
Prediction: The universe is expanding

Observation: Galaxies are moving apart from each other (1929)

Testing the Big Bang model
Evidence for an expanding universe
The spectrum of hydrogen gas is the unique
fingerprint of that element
Hydrogen lamp
Orion Nebula
When we see a repeat of the pattern we saw in
the lab, we know hydrogen is present
We see the same repeating pattern of lines in
a galaxy, but displaced to the red
Galaxy UGC 12915
The further the galaxy,
the more the shift to the red
Galaxy UGC 12508
Galaxy KUG 1750
The greater the red shift,
the faster the galaxy is receding
The red shift is caused
by the expansion of space.
Galaxy KUG 1217
The red shift is evidence
for an expanding universe
Galaxy IRAS F09159
Prediction: If the universe was denser, hotter, in past, we should see
evidence of left-over heat from early universe.

Observation: Left-over heat from the early universe. (Penzias and Wilson, 1965)
Prediction: A hot, dense expanding universe, should be
predominantly hydrogen, helium.

The Sun: 74.5% H, 24% He by mass
Observation: Universe is ~75% hydrogen, ~25% helium by mass
Cecilia Payne
Prediction: An expanding universe is evolving over time. If we look at the
early universe, it should appear different.

Observation: Distant galaxies less evolved, physically and chemically.
Observation: 90% of matter is an unknown form: Dark Matter.

Refine: A new and unknown form of matter exists. But its gravity
works the same way, and its presence is needed to explain how
the universe looks.
Vera Rubin
Observation: Expansion is accelerating.
Refine: Extra energy content.

A recent discovery and of unknown
origin,the concept of Dark Energy is
actually an integral part of Einsteins
theory of gravity.
Evidence for Dark Energy - supernovae as distance indicators - step 1
A dying star becomes a white dwarf.
The white dwarf strips gas from its stellar companion.
.and uses it to become a hydrogen bomb. Bang!
The explosion is as bright as an entire galaxy of stars.
..and can be seen in galaxies across the universe.
Dark Energy
73%
Dark Matter
23%
Normal Matter
4%
Conclusions
Big Bang model describes our current understanding
of the universe.
New discoveries, such as dark matter and accelerating
expansion (Dark Energy), lead us to refine our model,
but there is no crisis in our understanding (yet).
Science is an ongoing process - forcing us to test
our model through prediction and observation. The
more tests it passes, the greater is our confidence in it.

Expanding Universe

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